Citation

Zarocostas J. Lancet 2023; 401(10376): e541.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2023, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/S0140-6736(23)00323-9

PMID

36803789

Abstract

Sub-Saharan Africa has become the new global centre of violent extremism and a surge in attacks across the region is threatening to reverse decades of development gains, including in health, a report by the UN Development Programme (UNDP) has warned. Between 2017 and 2021, a total of 4155 attacks took place across the continent and resulted in 18 417 fatalities. Somalia, Burkina Faso, Niger, and Mali are worst affected.

“Almost half of global terrorism-related deaths in 2021 occurred in sub-Saharan Africa. We believe it is urgent to try and draw the international community's attention”, Achim Steiner, UNDP administrator, told journalists during the launch of the report.

The study draws on interviews with nearly 2200 people in Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Somalia, and Sudan, including more than 1000 who are former members of violent extremist groups. It found that employment rather than religious ideology is the leading factor driving recruitment.

Language: en