GNV News March 9, 2025

Australia-based Institute for Economics and Peace in March 2025.(written) reportand announced that the number of victims of terrorism in 10 countries in the Sahel region, including Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger, would be 3,885 in 2024. This would be approximately 51% of all global terror victims that year, it said. The report also noted that for the first time, the number of people who lost their lives in the region due to conflict, not just terrorism, exceeded 25,000.

The background to this surge in violence has been cited as poor government governance, conflict between communities, and the destruction of nature. In addition, the political situation in the Sahel region has become unstable due to a series of coups d'état, creating an environment conducive to the activities of armed groups.pointing outThe violence has been intensifying. The violence is said to be escalating due to the illegal trade in gold, uranium and other mineral resources, or drugs, which could be a source of funds for the armed groups' activities.

The report also notes the relevance of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict. While the Sahel region is building relations with China and Russia, away from the Western countries with which it had previously had close relations after a series of coups, Ukraine has been trying to build an armed force in opposition to such a pro-Russian regime.supportThe company says that it is doing so. In addition, there is concern that violence in the region could spread beyond the Sahel. In fact, even in countries far from the Sahel, such as Togo and Benin, organized violence suspected to be linked to armed groups operating in the Sahel has been reported.increaseThe company is doing so.

Learn more about the political situation in West Africa → "West Africa: Why Are There So Many Coups?"

Learn more about conflict and climate change → "Is Climate Change Associated with Increased Conflict? : Africa, Central Sahel"

A ceremony in the Mauritanian town of Nema marking the one-year anniversary of the suicide bomb attack (photo:Magharebia / Flickr [CC BY 2.0])