The report, which measures peacefulness across 163 countries, revealed a 0.89% decline in the region’s peace score over the past year.
Steve Killelea, IEP Founder and Executive Chairman, explained the GPI’s methodology, stating: “The Global Peace Index measures the peacefulness of the world for 99% of the world’s population. It covers three dimensions: internal safety and security, the level of ongoing conflict, and militarisation. These factors are combined to create a composite index.”
Sub-Saharan Africa is home to three of the ten least peaceful countries in the world and accounts for five of the ten countries with the highest levels of terrorism. The Sahel region, in particular, has seen a dramatic rise in terrorism-related deaths. “If you went back a decade ago, you’d find there was virtually no terrorism in the Sahel. Today, it accounts for nearly 50% of all global terrorist deaths,” Killelea noted.
Political instability and conflicts further exacerbate the region’s challenges. “When there are high levels of political instability, they are often associated with high levels of conflict and terrorism,” said Killelea. Additionally, the number of refugees in the region has significantly increased over the past five years.
Despite these challenges, some areas show improvement. “Homicide levels have decreased over the last five years, and surprisingly, militarisation has also improved despite ongoing conflicts,” Killelea shared. He also highlighted increased commitments to United Nations peacekeeping efforts as a positive development.
While the overall outlook remains concerning, there are glimpses of progress. “Of the 44 countries we measure in Sub-Saharan Africa, 18 improved their scores last year, representing 40%. This is higher than Europe, where only 30% of countries improved,” he said.
Globally, the GPI reported more conflicts than at any time since the Second World War. “At the time of compiling the index, there were 56 conflicts where more than 25 people had died, involving 91 countries,” Killelea explained. He pointed to examples like Sudan, where multiple countries are involved, and the Democratic Republic of Congo, where mineral resource exploitation fuels violence.
The Sahel region also faces worsening instability following the withdrawal of Western security forces. “They’ve been replaced to some degree by the Africa Corps from Russia, but governments are losing control of territory,” Killelea said.
While Sub-Saharan Africa faces significant challenges, the report offers a nuanced view, recognising both setbacks and areas of progress. “It’s not good news, but there’s a little bit of silver lining,” Killelea concluded.
–ChannelAfrica–
