Natalie Cowling
Research Expert South Africa
Terrorism in Africa - Statistics & Facts
Political instability and violent conflicts in Africa have increasingly escalated over the years, placing several African countries among the highest-ranking on the Global Terrorism Index (GTI). In 2023, Burkina Faso emerged as a base for militant activity, while Sudan's civil war has sparked a severe humanitarian crisis with far-reaching consequences as millions of displaced persons are forced to seek refuge in neighboring African countries.
Across these regions, armed conflicts continue to pose a major challenge and show a tendency to thrive on poor governance, poverty, and intercommunal conflict, which hinder progress towards peace and development. Success in combating these challenges in the future will require sustained political will, and a long-term commitment to addressing the symptoms and causes.
The Sahel: high violence and measures to address it
The Sahel region, spanning countries such as Burkina Faso, Niger, and Mali, is experiencing mounting violence and instability. These countries have together contributed to the low political stability and absence of violence or terrorism index recorded in the West African region. In the first half of 2024, civilian-targeted fatalities in the Sahel region, referring to the aforementioned countries, rose to more than 3,000 deaths. In 2023, Burkina Faso and Niger announced their decision to leave the G5 (a regional anti-jihadist coalition formed in 2014) to join Mali, which left the previous year. This was a pivotal move, signaling a shift in regional alliances, particularly in the context of increasing insecurity among the population, and a growing dissatisfaction with international military and security interventions in the Sahel. Additionally, Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger are on the brink of leaving the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) on January 29, 2025. However, a sixth month grace period has been granted, with the bloc hoping the three countries will reconsider their decision to withdraw.Broader regional instability
The impact of violent conflict extends beyond the Sahel, affecting North African countries as well. In 2023, Sudan recorded the lowest score in the political stability and absence of violence or terrorism index for North Africa. The country's instability further intensified with the outbreak of a devastating civil war following friction between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which began on April 15. This internal strife quickly escalated, resulting in thousands of fatalities within the same year (link to 1548630). The ongoing conflict has its roots in long-standing regional disputes that have plagued Sudan throughout much of its modern history. Meanwhile, Somalia continues to grapple with the persistent security threat of Al-Shabaab, a jihadist fundamentalist group, which was responsible for 99 percent of all terror-related deaths in the country.Across these regions, armed conflicts continue to pose a major challenge and show a tendency to thrive on poor governance, poverty, and intercommunal conflict, which hinder progress towards peace and development. Success in combating these challenges in the future will require sustained political will, and a long-term commitment to addressing the symptoms and causes.
