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The Sahel region remained the world’s deadliest terrorism hotspot in 2024, accounting for over half of all terror-related deaths, according to the Global Terrorism Index released Wednesday.
The report, compiled by the Institute for Economics and Peace, recorded 7,555 terror-related deaths globally last year, with the Sahel alone witnessing 3,885 fatalities—51% of the total.
Five of the ten worst-affected countries were in the Sahel, with Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger suffering relentless violence.
Burkina Faso remained the hardest-hit country for the second consecutive year, despite a drop in fatalities to 1,532 from 1,935 in 2023. Niger saw the steepest rise, with deaths nearly doubling to 930.
The Islamic State group and Al-Qaeda-linked JNIM were identified as the main perpetrators.
The report also noted that the region’s shift away from traditional Western security partners, along with its departure from ECOWAS, had allowed insurgent groups to expand their reach into coastal West Africa.
