In this series of infographics, ACLED’s Research Director, Dr. Roudabeh Kishi, explores 10 hidden or under-reported conflicts across Africa. 10. Mozambique: A Peace Deal between FRELIMO & RENAMO, A Rise in Islamist Violence. 9. The Sahel and the Merger of Islamist Factions. 8. Post-election violence and repression in the Republic of Congo. 7. Mass demonstrations in Togo.…
A feature of modern conflict is the frequent usage of airstrikes. Airwars (an ACLED partner) notes that Coalition and Russian airstrikes have declined since the last quarter of 2017 (while the preceding three quarters showed very high activity).[1] ACLED airstrike data supplements this insights by combining similar events by other actors such as Turkey, Israel…
Overview Despite a ceasefire agreement in 2015[1], violence in Myanmar has increased as clashes between government and non-state groups[2] continues to grow in areas party to the ceasefire and those not (see Figures 1 and 2). The vast majority of conflict events engage the government, who remains responsible for the intensity and devastation of the…
The presence of pro-government militias during civil wars has been a prominent feature in armed conflicts across the globe, and Syria is no exception (Kishi and Raleigh, 2018). The Syrian government first mobilised loyalist gangs, known as “Shabiha,” to act against civilian opposition when peaceful demonstrations began in Syria in 2011 (Marsh and Siddique, 2011).…
Since the beginning of the Syrian Civil War, the Assad regime’s army has faced a manpower issue due to defection and desertion. It has partially solved this problem by fostering and allying with loyalist militias, both domestic and foreign, in order to defend and recapture territory in Syria. A myriad of militias is heavily involved…
This interactive visual displays maps and charts featuring an overview of African political violence and protest trends from 1997 – 2017. Apply or remove filters by country and event type to broaden or limit your assessment of the data.
The measures and modes of civilian killing in Syria differ from most other conflicts. Specifically, direct civilian killing seems relatively uncommon at 2.4% of all recorded events, compared to 25-40% in a typical African conflict. What explains this? Two factors are responsible: the availability of advanced technology and frequent remote violence in Syria including air…
In DR-Congo, signs of a perfect storm are emerging: local conflict is flaring in the North East, continued demonstrations are occuring in urban areas, state repression of protesters is leading to increased fatalities, new militia actors and coalition are forming and joining with typical violence agents, international security groups are being targeted by rebel organizations…
Which group is the most violent in Africa? A recent report exploring Africa’s active militant Islamic groups aimed to tackle this question. The report, produced by the Africa Center for Strategic Studies (ACSS), argued that Somalia’s Al Shabaab has eclipsed Nigeria’s Boko Haram, to become “Africa’s deadliest group”. The claim was supported with data drawn…
Somalia continues to be the most conflict-affected country in Africa in 2017 with 1,537 organized violent events. By comparison, South Sudan is the second most violent state, with 686 organized violent events thus far this year. Somalia has also incurred the most reported fatalities thus far this year (3,287 reported fatalities). While battles continue to…