It's a name you might not be familiar with, but right now it's one of the deadliest

jihadist groups in the world. The scale of the increase in attacks in Burkina Faso and the

Sahel region across the board has been frightening.

One of the most audacious was an attack on an airport near Mali's capital last year,

rattling the ruling junta.

This isn't one homogenous entity.

It's a kaleidoscopic coalition, just like the region itself. This isn't one homogenous entity.

It's a kaleidoscopic coalition, just like the region itself.

Multiple different entities consisting of different tribes,

with very distinct leaders in different countries.

And its leaders don't fit the mould of textbook jihadists.

Iad Ghali walked into an embassy, spoke with American diplomats,

and they described him as a quietly spoken, reserved, slightly tired-looking man.

Not quite the kind of aggressive, finger-pointing version of the jihadists that we maybe have in our minds.

Their message has a lure in a region that's been beleaguered by military coups, ethnic conflict and climate change.

Engaging with local people by portraying themselves as we are your protectors, the state are the enemy, the state are killing you, we are protecting you.

Sub-Saharan Africa has become a key battleground for jihadists.

In this episode, we put the global jigsaw spotlight on a group called Jinim,

an al-Qaeda affiliate that has firmly planted its flag in the Sahel region.

We'll try to understand who they are, where they came from and what they are fighting for.

In Part 2, we'll explore the story from the local perspective.

Welcome to the documentary from the BBC World Service.

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