Last week in Africa, Kenyan and Somali forces clashed following a Kenyan military incursion into Somalia; secessionist violence was reported in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Cameroon, and Ghana; and anti-government demonstrations were reported in Egypt and Cameroon. The killing of three civilians by Kenyan state forces in Somalia’s Gedo region prompted large anti-Kenya demonstrations…
Media monitoring can play an important role in tracking, preventing, responding to and understanding violence and unrest. It is often used to identify, track and map incidents of insecurity and patterns in escalation and de-escalation in ongoing crises. Monitoring can draw on either ‘old’ media, such as newspapers, and/or ‘new’ social media, such as Twitter…
Last week in Africa, significant outbreaks of intercommunal violence were reported in Sudan, South Sudan, Ethiopia, and Kenya; Cabindan separatists clashed with state forces in Angola; and the governor of Borno came under heavy fire amid numerous attacks by Boko Haram in Nigeria and neighboring countries. In Sudan, armed Fallata pastoralists clashed with ethnic Taaisha…
Last week in Africa, the Government of National Accord (GNA) made strategic gains against the Libyan National Army (LNA) in Libya, despite the ongoing bombardment of Tripoli. Meanwhile, dozens of Boko Haram militants died under uncertain circumstances while in prison in Chad. State forces once again employed lethal force during the enforcement of coronavirus measures…
Last week, heavy fighting continued in the Sahel, as Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) militants staged successful operations against state forces and the rival Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (ISGS). Insurgents in Cabo Delgado continued to make gains in Mozambique. Meanwhile, Nigerian, Nigerien, and Chadian forces launched extensive operations to dislodge Boko Haram from…
In Africa last week, government responses to the growing spread of the coronavirus prompted violent demonstrations as well as the continued use of violence by state forces. In Libya, fighting continued despite calls for a ceasefire on the first anniversary of the Tripoli offensive. Meanwhile, Islamist militant groups continued operations in the Sahel and Somalia,…
Many states are likely to use the pandemic as a pretext to impose new restrictions on civil liberties and increase repression — including attacks on the media. ACLED Research Director Dr. Roudabeh Kishi maps attacks on journalists covering the coronavirus crisis around the world. This infographic is part of our special CDT Spotlight series. ©…
In Africa during the last week of March, state forces increasingly employed violence to enforce coronavirus restrictions. Meanwhile, ongoing Islamist insurgencies had key successes in several countries. Boko Haram launched deadly assaults on state forces in Nigeria and Chad, as militants made significant gains in Mozambique’s northernmost province of Cabo Delgado. Elsewhere, voting was met…
In Africa last week, concern over the spread of the coronavirus prompted mob violence and demonstration activity across a number of countries. Several major armed clashes involving Islamist militants were reported in Mali, while the Libyan conflict continued to worsen. With the majority of African countries now reporting cases of coronavirus (WHO, 19 March 2020),…
Last week in Africa, Al Shabaab orchestrated large attacks on Somali military bases in Lower Shabelle. Meanwhile, Boko Haram targeted civilians in the neighboring states of Yobe and Borno in Nigeria, Diffa in Niger and Cameroon’s Far North. In the Sahel, ongoing militant violence was exacerbated by worsening ethnic tensions in Mali’s Mopti region. In…