Jihadist violence rose sharply in Nigeria and DRC as global terror deaths fell

Jihadist violence rose sharply in Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of Congo last year, even as global deaths from terrorism fell to their lowest level in a decade. Nigeria recorded the largest increase globally, with fatalities up 46% from 513 to 750, moving it to fourth place on the Global Terrorism Index behind Pakistan, Burkina Faso and Niger.

The country faces a complex security crisis: Boko Haram and its offshoots, ethnic militias, criminal "bandit" groups and newer threats such as the Lakurawa are active, mostly in the north and centre. In February, 162 people were massacred in Kwara state near the border with the Benin Republic, one of the deadliest single attacks in recent history.

In the north-east, the army said troops backed by air support repelled a coordinated assault on a military base in Borno, killing at least 80 fighters including senior commanders. That assault followed multiple suicide bombings in Maiduguri that killed at least 23 and left more than 100 wounded.

Nigeria; DRC, Kwara; Borno; Maiduguri

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