3 West African Countries Most Affected by Terrorism
The Global Terrorism Index 2022 recently released has highlighted Nigeria, Mali, and Niger as the West African countries most affected by terrorism.
Below are some snapshots from the report.
Nigeria
The report states that Nigeria has had 8,915 deaths from terrorism reported since 2007. The image below breaks down the attacks.
According to the report in 2021, ISWA recorded its highest number of incidents and third-highest death toll since 2017. Overall, ISWA was responsible for 39 percent of all attacks in Nigeria in 2021. Despite this, the lethality of ISWA attacks has continued to decline from 10 deaths per attack in 2018 to almost three deaths per attack in 2021.
ISWA was responsible for Nigeria’s deadliest attack of 2021, with gunmen killing over 30 soldiers at an army base in the Borno region. ISWA’s main target continues to be military personnel, with the military being the target of over half of all attacks, resulting in 45 percent of casualties attributed to the group in 2021. Despite the civilian death toll decreasing, ISWA continues to increase its attacks on civilians, from 11 in 2020 to 19 in 2021.
Mali
In 2021, Mali recorded the highest number of terrorist attacks and deaths in the last decade. Rising political instability added to the difficulties of fighting terrorism.
Here is a breakdown of attacks in Mali.
One of the worst attacks happened in Songho and Bandiagara where gunmen killed at least 33 civilians and injured at least seven others in an attack on a public bus on 3 December 2021. No group had claimed responsibility at the time of writing, but jihadists operate in the area.
Niger
In 2021, Niger recorded 588 deaths as a result of terrorism. This is the highest terror-related death toll in the last decade. Civilians accounted for 78 percent of these casualties, resulting in Niger becoming the country with the third-highest civilian death toll in 2021.
Niger’s deadliest attack of 2021 occurred in a village in the Tillaberi region when gunmen on motorbikes killed 70 civilians and wounded another 17. ISWA claimed responsibility, indicating they targeted pro-government militia members.
Here is a breakdown of attacks in Niger:
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