Sub-Saharan Africa a global terror hotspot

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Sahel region hard hit by terrorism

from ISSOUF TRAORE in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso Bureau
OUAGADOUGOU, (CAJ News)SUB-Saharan Africa is emerging as a global epicentre of terrorism.

According to the Global Terrorism Index (GTI) 2022, the region accounted for about half (48 percent) of global terrorism deaths (7 142) in 2021.

Four of the ten countries with the largest increases in deaths from terrorism were also in sub-Saharan Africa.

These are Burkina Faso, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Mali and Niger.

“Terrorist activity in the Sahel is increasing substantially, and is driven by Islamic militias,” said Steve Killelea, Founder and Executive Chairman, Institute for Economics and Peace.

Overall, despite an increase in attacks, the impact of terrorism continues to decline.

In 2021, deaths from terrorism fell by 1,2 percent while attacks rose by 17 percent, highlighting that terrorism is becoming less lethal.

Two-thirds of countries recorded no attacks or deaths from terrorism – the best result since 2007.

The largest increase in terrorism was in Myanmar, where deaths rose 23 times from 24 to 521, followed by Niger, where deaths doubled, increasing from 257 in 2020 to 588 in 2021.

Mozambique had the largest drop in terrorism deaths, falling by 82 percent to 93.

The success was largely driven by counter-insurgency operations against Islamic State by Mozambican forces, with support from Rwanda and the Southern African Development Community.

The world’s most lethal terrorist group was the Islamic State of West Africa, where in Niger each attack averaged 15 deaths.

– CAJ News

 

 

 

 

 

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