Attacks by extremist groups operating in Africa have killed more than 155,000 people over the past decade, and remain the most active cause of widespread instability, according to a new report from the Africa Center for Strategic Studies (ACSS).
The report shows that between 2016 and 2019, an average of 10,774 people died annually in attacks linked to these groups, with most of the suffering occurring in the Sahel, Somalia, North Africa, Mozambique and the Lake Chad region. Between 2019 and 2022, that number is expected to rise to 13,950, while from 2022 to 2025 it will exceed 22,315 per year.
Last year alone, 22,307 people were killed in attacks linked to these groups, the highest number recorded since 2023. The Sahel ranked first with 10,685 deaths, while Somalia came in second with 7,289 deaths. Together with Lake Chad, these three regions accounted for 99% of all deaths linked to militant groups in Africa last year.
The ACSS also said that the groups have expanded their territory, particularly in Somalia and the Sahel, to now cover nearly 950,000 km².
Over the past decade, Somalia and the countries bordering Lake Chad (Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad and Niger) have been the deadliest hotspots, but since 2022, the Sahel has become the deadliest, with Somalia and the Sahel each now recording more than 49,000 deaths, while the Lake Chad region has recorded nearly 39,000.
The ACSS stressed that these events highlight the need for continued vigilance to counter the growing links between African and international extremist groups.
