THERE is no doubt that insurgency poses a serious threat to democracy and democratic institutions in Africa. It is worrisome that terrorism has assumed a far-reaching dimension globally, particularly in African continent.
Just recently, Nigeria’s Permanent representative in the United Nations (UN), Professor Ibrahim Gambari lamented that more than 1000 insurgent groups are currently ravaging the African continent. On the heels of his submission, the African Union (AU) Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security, Ambassador Bankole Adeoye, at a session focused on strengthening counter-terrorism on the African continent, disclosed that last year, the AU Counter-Terrorism Centre (AUTUC), recorded over 3,400 terrorist attacks on the continent which resulted in over 13,900 fatalities.
At the same forum, the UN Deputy Secretary-General, Amina Mohammed noted that Africa accounts for nearly 59 percent of global terrorism cases, adding that the Sahel Region accounted for more than 6000 terrorism-related fatalities as at January 2025.
Similarly, the Global Terrorism Index observed that insurgency related conflicts resulted in over 800 deaths by 2015, while 44 others were killed between 2016 and 2018 in Nigeria.
The record also indicated that Burkina Faso accounted for one fifth of the deaths globally with the Islamic State (IS) constituting the deadliest group responsible for 1,805 deaths across countries in 2024.
This situation, to say the least, is worrisome as the activities of terrorists constitute the most devastating threat to peace, security and sustainable development across the continent.
It subsumed a society in the vortex of avoidable anarchy, unmitigated impunity, recklessness, disregard for the sanctity of human lives, and citizens’ fundamental rights. Without doubt, such an epicentre of terrorism can never truly witness positive growth in global best practices.
In Nigeria, for instance, activities of terrorists manifesting in attacks on innocent citizens, public facilities, including military facilities and base, illegal mining, abduction, arson, rape, gun-running, ambush on security operatives and in some cases killing of soldiers and other security personnel has cost the nation a huge loss in both human and material resources.
Terrorism has also forced many to become Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) foisting on the government and helpless citizens a refugee situation, pains and agony that require humongous resources and fortitude to address.
Indeed, no investor whether local or global will like to channel hard earned resources to any nation under the grip of terrorism.
Nigeria and indeed other African countries battling insurgency need no pair of binoculars to unmask the perpetrators as the terrorists are known to include AlShabaab in Somalia, the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Ahlu Sunna Wal Jama in Mozambique, Boko Haram, Islamic State of West AFRICA (ISWAP), killer herdsmen and Lakurawa in Nigeria, just to mention a few. Lakurawa, for instance, are believed to have accounted for most cross-border attacks in northwest Nigeria, Niger, and Chad.
Besides, the record has it that in the past two years Al-Qaeda and ISIL affiliates are known to have spread to coastal parts of West Africa, with devastating attacks soaring by more than 250 per cent.
Additionally, some persons and organizations were sometimes fingered as sponsors, sympathizers, agents or privies of terrorists and terrorism-related activities in our nation but as at today, not much has been done to properly investigate let alone bringing them to book.
This is most disappointing, reprehensible and totally unacceptable in a society that subscribes to democratic norms and values. This murderous siege on Nigeria and indeed Africa must not continue.
While it is obvious that African countries either due to lack of political will, insincerity of purpose or the overwhelming force of the insurgents, have been unable to tame the monster, wisdom dictates that global rescue efforts remain inevitable.
Accordingly, we advocate the recalibration and re-tooling of policies and strategies for greater synergy among individual African countries, the African union (AU) and the United Nations (UN) security council towards defeating terrorists not only in Africa but the world over.
The AU and the UN should support and step up joint funding for peace enforcement with regards to counter-terrorism and particularly, give eloquent expression to the Security Council Resolution 2719 (2023) – which heralds African-led peace support missions to access UN funding for counter-terrorism in the continent.
Finally, African nations should also address the problems of poverty, hunger, inequality and unemployment, which potentially serve as fertile soil for discontent, violence and extremism.
