As 2018 drew to a close, political violence and protests in Africa rose. This overview focuses on a selected number of countries where some of the most important developments occurred at the end of last year and into the current period (between December 16th, 2018, January 5th, 2019). First, the number of organized armed violent…
In this infographic, ACLED Research Analyst Hilary Matfess unpacks political violence trends in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Nigeria ahead of the their upcoming elections.
Key developments in Africa in the week of December 9th include the show of force by Boko Haram suicide attackers in Cameroon, the election-related violence in the DRC and Somalia, and continued rise in protests in Northern Africa. In Cameroon, within the space of one week between December 6-13th, Boko Haram militants launched at least…
Key developments in the week of November 25th include the large military operations in Nigeria and Sudan, the insecurity in the DRC and Chad, and the continued government intimidation campaigns launched in Angola. There were notable military operations in Nigeria and in Sudan last week. In Nigeria, with the February 2019 presidential elections nearing, the…
Key trends in Africa in the week of November 18th include the large campaigns launched against Islamist militants in Mali and Somalia and the high Boko Haram activity in Niger and Nigeria. Other relevant developments include the political tensions in DRC and Gabon, and the multiplication of protests in Tunisia. Large international campaigns were launched…
Key developments in the week of November 11th include the layered insecurity in Mali, the unpredictability of the recent Boko Haram activity in Nigeria, the instability in CAR and the DRC, and large protests in North Africa. In Mali, a Group for Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM) suicide bomber detonated an explosives-laden vehicle against…
Key trends in Africa in the week of November 4th include the continued violence against civilians in Cameroon, the deadliest attack in Mogadishu of 2018 and the escalation of political violence in Guinea. Other relevant developments spanned the DRC, Chad, Niger and Madagascar. Cameroon maintained important levels of violence last week. Protests by supporters of…
Key trends in the week of October 21st in Africa include the rise in fighting in Cameroon after the re-election of president Biya; the continuation of the Islamist violence and the rapid escalation of intercommunal violence in Mali; and other escalation triggers in CAR, DRC, Guinea and Ethiopia. There were important developments last week in…
The North Kivu province is the site of a disproportionate share of the violent events and protests in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). In 2018 thus far, 51% of violent events and protests have taken place in the province. Since August, residents have also had to contend with another source of insecurity: an outbreak…
Key developments in Africa during the week of September 16th include violence in Ethiopia, renewed fighting in Libya’s Tripoli, the death of a Mayi Mayi faction leader in DRC and key incidents involving international actors in Niger and Nigeria. In Ethiopia, at least two large attacks were carried out on September 16th by emboldened Oromo…