Nigeria, Aug. 11 -- Guinea has so far been spared attacks by violent extremist groups, but the risk of terrorism spilling over from neighbouring Mali is now on the rise. The March indictment of 11 suspected Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) members in Guinea's gold mining region bordering Mali shows how vulnerable the country is to the instability affecting the central Sahel.

Attacks by militant groups in Mali near the Guinean border have become more frequent in the past two years, with strikes against a police checkpoint, customs outpost and Chinese-run mining sites near Guinea's border.

This year, the Yanfolila checkpoint in Mali, 50 km from the Guinea border, was targeted on 16 March. On 4 July, JNIM raided the Kenieroba pr...