This is the center of armed jihad in 2024

There is no doubt that the global center of jihadism in 2024 is West Africa in general and the Sahel in particular. Not Iraq, not Syria, not Iran. West Africa and the Sahel. The numbers prove it. A few months ago, a report called the Global Terrorism Index (GTI), published with 2023 data referring to terrorist attacks worldwide, indicated that two of the three countries most affected by terrorism in 2023 were Burkina Faso (1st) and Mali (3rd). Nigeria (8th) and Niger (10th) were equally placed in the “top 10” More than half of the deaths reported occurred in the Sahel belt. The report, which is to be published with information on 2024, also leaves no doubt about Niger’s high potential to climb several positions.

Terrorist groups also have their own reports, which they publish from time to time in various languages ​​and apparently for propaganda purposes, although these reports are useful for reading about current events. Thus, the Islamic State has recently released its results sheet for the year 1445 AH, and its figures follow the same line as the Global Terrorism Index. If terrorists claim to have killed 187 people in Iraq and 500 in Russia, the numbers skyrocket at the mention of the African continent.

According to their own figures, jihadists killed 1,057 people in West Africa, 889 in the Sahel and 994 in Central Africa. No other region in the world has a higher number than these three African regions. It is also worth highlighting the lethality of the attacks in the Sahel; while it took 97 attacks to kill 241 people in Mozambique, it took 90 attacks to kill 889 people in the Sahel.

The numbers presented by ISIS must be taken with caution. They claim to have destroyed 1,565 homes and farms and 46 barracks, just as they define 1,920 of their victims as “crusaders”, and It is likely that the figures are exaggerated For propaganda purposes. But there is no doubt that the deadliest points on the planet today are the Sahel and West African countries affected by armed jihadism. And that attacks are more effective in the Sahel than in Central Africa, although the attack-to-death ratio in Central Africa is higher than in the region that ISIS identifies as West Africa.

Several details can be derived from the above data. First, Anti-terrorism fight led by Sahel’s military junta in direct cooperation with Russia (and aided by Chinese and Turkish weapons, including armored vehicles and combat drones) is bringing devastating consequences for the local population. A review of the attacks in Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso this July may help to understand the situation:

On 18 July, a convoy carrying Chinese workers was attacked while they were on their way to the Kambo-Saukoni gold mine in Niger; the army pursued the attackers but was ambushed and three vehicles were destroyed. On 16 July, militants attacked a village in the department of Orkoye (Burkina Faso) and killed a teacher and two militiamen. On the same day, another attack in the department of Gorom-Gorom (Burkina Faso) ended the lives of six militiamen. On 15 July, three civilians were killed by JNIM in the Mopti region (Mali). On the same day, 7 civilians lost their lives near the town of Tillaberi (Niger). Between 16 and 12 July, repeated attacks were recorded in towns in eastern Burkina Faso, resulting in the deaths of 5 militiamen and more than 13 civilians. Another attack in the town of Bomborokuy (Burkina Faso) on 12 July killed 20 civilians and a militia member. The same town was also attacked on 25 July, killing 19 civilians. Seven Nigerien soldiers were killed in an attack near the town of Tahoua (Niger) on 10 July. Fourteen other soldiers died in Tillaberi (Niger) on 7 July. And four nomads were killed again near Tahoua (Niger) on 5 July. And about 20 civilians were killed in Mali’s Mopti region on 1 July.

While attacks are divided between Islamic State and al Qaeda affiliates in the Sahel, most of the deaths reported in Central Africa have occurred in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where the group known as the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) in English) united by strong ties with Islamic states, is responsible for attacks on Christians and animist populations in the east of the country. Without going further, The ADF attacked a village in the Beni region this week, killing 37 people, burning down nine houses and abducting an unknown number of people.. It should be noted that many of the victims were beheaded and the ADF had already carried out another massacre in June, resulting in the death of 80 people, as confirmed by the terrorist group itself.

Then it’s official. Groups like Boko Haram, JNIM, EIGS or ADF (terms totally unknown to the general European public) have killed thousands of people this year, kidnapped hundreds, burned ancient villages and spread the most terror… amid a blazing silence that eats away at lives. Some evil thinkers will say that they are not given due importance because the skin color of the victims is not light enough. But surely the reason is different.