The Sahel region of Africa has become the world’s deadliest hotspot for terrorism, responsible for over half of all terrorism-related deaths globally, according to the latest Global Terrorism Index (GTI).
The report reveals that out of 7,555 terrorism-related deaths worldwide, 3,885 occurred in the Sahel, marking a nearly tenfold increase since 2019.
The Sahel, stretching from the west coast of Africa to the continent’s east, includes parts of Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, Cameroon, Guinea, The Gambia, Senegal, Nigeria, Chad, and Mauritania. The region has become a battleground for Islamist extremist groups, primarily the Islamic State affiliate in the Sahel and Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimeen (JNIM), an al-Qaeda offshoot.
Experts attribute the surge in violence to worsening political instability, with the region earning the nickname the “coup belt of Africa.” Since 2020, there have been six successful coups, leading to military juntas in Mali, Burkina Faso, Guinea, and Niger. The GTI report warns that these power shifts have not improved security and, in some cases, have made the situation worse.
“The Sahel has experienced a breakdown in state society,” explains Dr. Folahanmi Aina of SOAS University in London. Years of weak governance and neglect have allowed terror groups to exploit local frustrations, offering their own form of justice and governance, often based on strict Sharia law.
Mali has seen a rapid expansion of terrorist-controlled areas since its military coups in 2020 and 2021, with ISIS-Sahel nearly doubling its territory, particularly near Burkina Faso and Niger. The UN reports that both ISIS-Sahel and JNIM have increased recruitment, including the use of child soldiers.
The worsening crisis is not just a military struggle but an economic one. Jihadist groups sustain their operations through illicit activities like kidnapping for ransom, cattle rustling, and smuggling.
Burkina Faso remains the most affected country by terrorism for the second year in a row, marking the first time a nation other than Iraq or Afghanistan has topped the GTI list. With violence continuing to spread and governance remaining unstable, the Sahel is set to remain at the center of global terrorism in the years ahead.