Most countries in Africa are still vulnerable following a series of terror attacks that seem unending, resulting in the destruction of property and hurting economic growth.
Terrorism, according to the Global Terrorism Index (GTI), is “the threatened or actual use of illegal force and violence by a non-state actor to attain a political, economic, religious, or social goal through fear, coercion, or intimidation.”
The GTI, released by the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP), is a comprehensive study analysing the impact of terrorism for 163 countries. The report provides a comprehensive summary of the key global trends and patterns in terrorism over the last 20 years, covering the period from the beginning of 1998 to the end of 2017.
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In this year’s GTI, conflict remains the primary driver of terrorism in most countries throughout the world, with some African countries recording the largest increases in the number of deaths from terrorism in 2017.
In total, there were 18,814 deaths from terrorism in 2017, a decrease of 27 per cent from 2016. Globally, Afghanistan posted the highest deaths from terrorism in 2017, surpassing Iraq. The Middle East felt the most impact of terrorism, followed by North Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa.
Scroll through to find out the five African countries that were most affected by terrorism in 2017:
