NAIROBI, Kenya, Mar 20 – The epicenter of global terrorism has now “conclusively shifted” out of the Middle East and into the Central Sahel region of sub-Saharan Africa, a new report has revealed.
The Global Terrorism Index (GTI) has shown that the impact of terrorism is far higher in sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East and North Africa, and South Asia than in any other region in the world.
This region now accounts for almost half of all deaths from terrorism globally.
Over the past 15 years, the Sahel has witnessed a staggering surge in terrorism, with fatalities soaring by 2,860 percent and incidents escalating by 1,266 percent during this period.
“These three regions accounted for 94 per cent of deaths from terrorism in 2023, with sub-Saharan Africa alone accounting for just under 59 per cent of all fatalities,” the GTI report reads in part.
It further indicated that there were just under four thousand deaths from terrorism in the Sahel in 2023, or 47 per cent of the total.
Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger stand as the most affected by terrorism in this region, as they grapple with internal strife, weak governance, and precarious relations with neighboring countries.
Their recent departure from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has led to their uncertain trajectory.
The GTI underscores a strong correlation between organized crime and terrorism, particularly evident in the central Sahel.
Terrorist groups like JNIM have expanded their influence, fueling a surge in kidnappings, ransom demands, and assaults on gold mining ventures.
“Terrorist groups integrate organised criminal operations by co-opting illicit economies, taxing both criminal and unregulated legal enterprises, and providing security for criminal groups and the transportation of illicit goods,” GTI report adds.
The recent escalation in the conflict between Israeli forces and Hamas in Gaza raises concerns about potential terror threats in the MENA region, particularly in states perceived as supportive of Israel or with large Jewish populations.
Moreover, the deteriorating security landscape in the Sahel may exacerbate conflict and terrorist activities, according to the GTI report.
While terrorism-related deaths have surged to levels not seen since 2017, they remain nearly 25 percent lower than their peak in 2015.
The most significant declines in terrorism since 2007 have been witnessed in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Nigeria, with a remarkable 99 percent decrease in total terrorism-related fatalities since then.