GTI 2025 report reveals terrorism’s deadly grip on Sahel and Somalia

Terrorism continues to devastate Africa, with the Sahel and Somalia remaining epicenters of violent extremism, according to the latest Global Terrorism Index (GTI) 2025 report.
The Sahel region, which is sometimes referred to as the “coup belt” of Africa, comprising Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, and surrounding areas, now accounts for more than half of the world’s terrorism-related deaths. In 2024, 3,885 lives were lost due to extremist violence in the Sahel, a nearly tenfold increase since 2019. The report published by the Sydney-based Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP) has also found that the Islamic State (IS) and al-Qaeda affiliate Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimeen (JNIM) are primarily responsible for these deaths, with IS being the deadliest group in the region.
Somalia, while seeing a decline in deaths, remains heavily impacted by al-Shabaab, the country’s most lethal extremist group. In 2024, there were 359 deaths from terrorism, a 19% reduction from the previous year, largely due to military successes by the Somali government and support from the United States and African Union Support and Stabilization Mission. However, al-Shabaab remains resilient, especially around Mogadishu, complicating efforts for lasting peace. The report notes that violent extremism has also taken its toll on other African countries, with Nigeria and Cameroon among the top 10 most affected.
In response to the increasing violence, Sahel nations have pivoted toward regional collaborations, including the Alliance of Sahel States, and are seeking new international partnerships, such as with Russia, following the expulsion of French forces. Despite these efforts, the ongoing security challenges and the rise in terrorist activities continue to threaten the stability of these nations, pushing terrorism-related deaths to their highest levels in years.