Last week in Africa, the worsening conflict in Ethiopia spilled into neighboring Eritrea; a longstanding ceasefire was breached in the disputed Western Sahara; and French forces killed a senior Al Qaeda-affiliated militant in Mali. The conflict between the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) and Ethiopian federal forces continued to worsen in Ethiopia, spilling into neighboring…
Last week in Africa, demonstrations against police brutality continued to gain traction in Nigeria; ongoing election-related demonstrations and violence were reported in Guinea and the Ivory Coast; and an Al Shabaab ambush resulted in Somalia’s deadliest clash of the year. In Nigeria, #EndSARS demonstrations against police brutality have continued to grow across the country. Several…
Last week in Africa, clashes were reported between rival Islamist groups across the Sahel; demonstrators commemorated the October 1988 pro-democracy demonstrations in Algeria; and violent demonstrations erupted in eastern Sudan over the recently signed Juba peace agreement. Rival Islamist groups engaged in multiple clashed across the Sahelian countries of Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso. More…
On 11 June 2020, militants believed to be members of the Al Qaeda-affiliated Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) attacked a mixed Ivorian military and gendarmerie post in the border village of Kafolo — the first jihadi militant attack to strike Ivory Coast since the 2016 shootings at the Grand-Bassam resort. While the Kafolo incident marks…
The COVID-19 pandemic compounds existing vulnerabilities faced by humanitarian aid workers assisting communities in conflict-affected regions around the world. To mark World Humanitarian Day 2020, ACLED Research Analyst Curtis Goos maps political violence targeting aid workers across our coverage areas. ACLED coverage of violence targeting aid workers is enhanced by partner data from the Aid…
In our special report on 10 conflicts to worry about at the start of 2020, ACLED identified a range of flashpoints and emerging crises where violent political disorder was likely to evolve and worsen over the course of the year: the Sahel, Mexico, Yemen, India, Somalia, Iran, Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Lebanon, and the United States. Our…
Last week in Africa, violence erupted across Ethiopia’s Oromia region in response to the murder of a prominent Oromo musician; nationwide demonstrations were held in Sudan amid popular discontent with stalling reforms; and intercommunal violence continued in South Sudan. In Ethiopia, violence erupted in Addis Ababa and across the Oromia region in response to the…
After eight years of conflict in the Sahel, the international community remains primarily focused on the two main jihadi militant groups driving the sub-regional insurgency in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger: the Al Qaeda-affiliated Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) and the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (ISGS). The reality on the ground is far…
Last week in Africa, demonstration activity rose to its highest levels since mid-March amid an easing of coronavirus restrictions in some countries; escalating inter-jihadi conflict in the Sahel became further entrenched; and overtures of peace were made in one of the most violent insurgencies in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Demonstrations in Tunisia rose to…
In Africa last week, coronavirus fears prompted a fatal prison riot in Sierra Leone; Libyan National Army (LNA) leader Khalifa Haftar claimed that his military had a popular mandate to rule Libya; and the Central African Republic was hit by worsening ethnic violence amongst ex-Seleka armed groups. In Libya, LNA leader Haftar began the week…