**The Sahel Region Becomes Deadliest for Terrorism** The Sahel has taken over as the world's most deadly region for terrorism, accounting for nearly half of all global deaths linked to the phenomenon. This shift away from the Middle East and North Africa has been a long-term trend, as recent data indicates. According to the *Global Terrorism Index 2026*, compiled by the Institute for Economics and Peace, the Sahel region has been the global leader in terrorism-related deaths for three consecutive years. Data from the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project (ACLED), which tracks conflict and violence worldwide, also points to high levels of violence across the Sahel. "The epicentre of terrorism has shifted from the Middle East and North Africa, into the Sahel region of sub-Saharan Africa," the index stated this week, noting that the Sahel has experienced a tenfold increase in terrorism fatalities since 2007. In 2024, more than half of the 7,555 global deaths linked to terrorism occurred in the Sahel. The trend continued in 2025, with nearly half of the 5,582 fatalities taking place in the region. The index ranked 163 countries using data on attacks, deaths, injuries, and hostages, and also noted that total fatalities in the region fell compared to the previous year. The Sahel region stretches along the southern edge of the Sahara desert, from the Atlantic Ocean to the Red Sea, and includes countries such as Mauritania, Mali, Niger, northern Nigeria, Chad, and Sudan. **Growing Presence of Armed Groups** The rise in violence is largely linked to the growing presence of jihadist groups and changes in how they operate. Most attacks are attributed to Islamic State affiliates and JNIM, an Al-Qaeda-linked group active in Burkina Faso. JNIM has shifted its focus towards targeting soldiers rather than civilians and has expanded operations in areas such as western and southern Mali. "Both JNIM and Islamic State – Sahel Province (ISSP) have expanded in Niger's southern Dosso region and into Nigeria, while Benin experienced its deadliest year to date as a result of JNIM's violent activities," Heni Nsaibia, senior analyst for West Africa at ACLED, told *Radio France Internationale*. Nsaibia emphasized that the figures do not fully capture how the conflict is evolving. "Numbers only tell a part of the story," she said, highlighting the limitations of different ways of counting violence, which can lead to varying totals. The Tarikom camp in Ghana has a majority of women and children who fled jihadist violence in Burkina Faso. The Chief of Staff of the Burkina Faso armed forces, Colonel-Major David Kabre, attended the annual US-led FLINTLOCK military training closing ceremony at the International Counter-Terrorism Academy in Jacqueville, Ivory Coast, on March 14, 2023. The Sahel region's shift to becoming the world's deadliest region for terrorism is a significant development, and it remains to be seen how the situation will continue to unfold.