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,…
Developments of the past week in Africa include operations against Al Shabaab in Somalia, inter-communal violence targeting civilians in Cameroon, and continued instability in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) where Islamic State claimed an attack targeting security forces. Demonstrations in Egypt, Zimbabwe, and Sudan are the other significant events of the past week. In…
19 June 2019: On the International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict, ACLED data confirm that sexual violence remains a serious threat around the world — both inside and outside of war-time contexts. Over the past year, ACLED has recorded an overall increase in reported sexual violence events,* and across regions political…
ACLED Research Analyst Melissa Pavlik surveys the new regime’s crackdown on unrest in Zimbabwe. © 2019 Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED). All rights reserved.
Key developments in Africa in the week of January 13th include the Al Shabaab show of strength in Kenya amidst heavy defeats in Somalia; the violent ethnic attacks in Nigeria, Mali and Ethiopia; and the unrest in Zimbabwe and Ivory Coast. One of the key developments last week was the Al Shabaab attack on people…
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…
Key developments in Africa during the week of September 9th include continued high levels of insurgent activity in Somalia and Cameroon; heavy military activity against Boko Haram in Nigeria; continued ethnic unrest in south-west Kenya; political unrest in Ethiopia and a large-scale bombing in Libya. In Somalia, al Shabaab has continued a number of low-level…
Key developments in Africa during the week of September 2nd include the high insurgent activity in Somalia, Cameroon and Burkina Faso; the persistence of multiple fronts of violence in Nigeria; the escalation of violence in Bria in the Central African Republic; and the protests in Kenya and in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Insurgents have…
There was an overall downward trend in the levels of organised violence and protests on the African continent during the month of August 2018 compared to the rest of the year. There are fewer reported events than is typical for August based on previous years, but this pattern may still be reversed due to reporting…
The most notable trend in Africa on the week of July 22nd was the rise in violence involving Islamist militants across a number of countries. In Somalia, Al Shabaab carried out multiple operations across southern regions. The group claimed responsibility for several IED and grenade explosions targeting government officials and troops in Mogadishu, Baidoa, Belet…