# The region with more 'terror deaths' than rest of world combined

## Introduction

The Sahel region of Africa is known as the "epicentre of global terrorism" and now accounts for "over half of all terrorism-related deaths," according to the Global Terrorism Index (GTI). The GTI report has found that in this semi-arid area to the south of the Sahara Desert, 3,885 people out of a worldwide total of 7,555 died. The report also notes that while the global figure has declined from a peak of 11,000 in 2015, the figure for the Sahel has increased nearly tenfold since 2019.

## Background

The GTI report also highlights that while the global figure has declined, the region has experienced the rapid expansion of militant jihadist groups, particularly those affiliated with Islamic State (IS) and Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimeen (JNIM), which have emerged as recent threats in the Sahel. According to the report, both groups have recruited more fighters, including child soldiers, in the case of IS. Dr Niagalé Bagayoko, chair of the African Security Sector Network, states that "these groups are trying to introduce new legal orders," and "they're competing with one another for land and influence."

## Impact on Security

The report points out that IS-Sahel has reportedly doubled the amount of territory it controls in Mali since the country's coups of 2020 and 2021, largely in the east near its borders with Burkina Faso and Niger. Meanwhile, JNIM continued to expand its reach, and in the process, it has recruited more fighters, including child soldiers, in the case of IS. The report also notes that the region has become a key route for drug traffickers, with cocaine from South America making its way into Europe through the Sahel. The report also highlights that some groups, such as IS-Sahel and JNIM, have expanded their operations to countries like Benin or Togo or other coastal West African states, which may be on the verge of entering the Sahel.

## Government Response

Right now, the Sahel has experienced a breakdown in state society, with "the expansion of militant groups within the region." In fact, Burkina Faso "remained the country most affected by terrorism for the second year in a row," the report says. These attacks were largely concentrated along the country's border with Burkina Faso.

## Conclusion

The report warns that there is a risk of overspill to neighboring countries, with Burkina Faso reporting 10 attacks and 52 deaths in 2024, the most since the GTI began. These attacks were largely concentrated along the country's border with Burkina Faso. The report emphasizes that the region is experiencing a breakdown in state society, with "the expansion of militant groups within the region in countries like Benin or Togo or other coastal West African states."

## Sources and Further Reading

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