Burkina Faso has once again ranked as the world’s most terrorism-impacted nation, according to the 2025 Global Terrorism Index (GTI), which highlights the Sahel region as the new global epicentre of extremist violence.
Published by the Institute for Economics & Peace, the GTI reveals that over half of all terrorism-related deaths in 2024 occurred in the Sahel.
Burkina Faso, Niger, and Mali were among the hardest hit, with terrorist attacks increasingly targeting both military and civilian populations.
“Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, which were all ranked outside the top 30 in 2011, continue to be among the most affected by terrorism consistently since 2017,” the report states.
“This underscores a geographic shift in the epicentre of terrorism away from the Middle East and towards the Sahel, with substantial implications for regional stability.”
Despite a 57% drop in terrorist attacks and a 21% decline in fatalities, Burkina Faso still recorded over 1,500 deaths from terrorism in 2024 — a fifth of the global total.
Most attacks occurred in the volatile northern and central-eastern regions bordering Mali and Niger.
The country’s deadliest incident involved an assault by Jamaat Nusrat Al-Islam wal Muslimeen (JNIM) militants in Centre-Nord, killing between 200 and 600 people, many of them civilians assisting the military.
“The victims were engaged in digging defensive trenches for the army and the Volunteers for the Defense of the Homeland (VDP), a civilian armed group supporting Burkina Faso’s military efforts,” the report states.
JNIM was responsible for nearly half of Burkina Faso’s attacks in 2024.
Islamic State (IS) activity declined, with just one confirmed attack, though many incidents were attributed to unidentified jihadist groups.
In Niger, terrorist-related deaths nearly doubled from 479 in 2023 to 930 in 2024 — the highest since the index began. The country now ranks fifth globally.
A single attack in the Tahoua region claimed the lives of 237 soldiers, marking the deadliest global incident in 2024.
“Niger now holds the highest military death toll from terrorism of any country in 2024,” the GTI states.
Following a coup in July 2023 and a pivot toward Russian security partnerships, Niger saw a sharp rise in violence.
“Russian military instructors arrived in April 2024 to replace departing Western forces, but their efforts have been hindered by limited experience in the Sahel and a focus on supporting the ruling junta,” the report notes.
Globally, terrorist deaths fell by 13% to 7,555 in 2024.
However, the number of countries affected rose from 58 to 66.
The deadliest groups included IS, JNIM, Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), and Al-Shabaab, responsible for 80% of terrorism deaths attributed to specific organizations.
Pakistan rose to second place on the GTI, recording its highest death toll since 2014, while Nigeria, Afghanistan, and Syria also ranked among the top 10.
“Terrorism has increased significantly in Pakistan since the Taliban’s rise to power in Afghanistan,” the report says.
Europe and the United States also saw increased terror incidents and hate crimes, with antisemitic attacks rising dramatically after the Hamas assault on Israel on October 7, 2023.
“Similar patterns emerged in Europe and Australia, where attacks on synagogues were reported throughout the year,” the GTI states.
The 2025 GTI paints a grim picture of shifting global terrorism dynamics, with the Sahel emerging as the most dangerous region for extremist violence — driven by insecurity, weakened state institutions, and changing geopolitical alliances.
Source: christianpost