Deadliest wars in Africa 2022

The deadliest state-based conflict in Africa in 2022 was, by far, the war in the Tigray region in Ethiopia between the Ethiopian Government and the rebel group TPLF. It is estimated that more than 100,000 people were killed in the conflict that year. By comparison, over 3,000 were killed in Somalia in the conflict between the Government of Somalia and Al-Shabaab. The war between the Ethiopian Government and the TPLF saw terrible human suffering, including mass rape and forced starvation. The conflict between the Government of Burkina Faso and the Islamist rebel group JNIM in the country was the third most lethal on the continent.

Rising terrorism in Africa

In recent years, some African states such have been suffering from increasing terrorist activity due to a weak state and a poor security apparatus. For instance, Burkina Faso, Somalia, and Mali made up three of the four countries ranked highest on the global terrorism index in 2022, and in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the number of terrorist attacks rose from less than 200 in 2018 to around 900 in 2021. Many of the state-based conflicts on the continent are between a state and a terrorist organization.

Increasing number of coups

The poor state infrastructure in some African states has led to a surge in coup d'états on the continent since 2020, especially in Western Africa, where there have been successful coups in Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, and Gabon in recent years. Worldwide, Thailand is the country with the highest number of successful coup d'états since the Second World War.

Fatalities in state-based conflicts in Africa in 2022, by country and conflict detail

Parties involved	Number of fatalities
Ethiopia [Government of Ethiopia****************** vs. TPLF]	100,282
Somalia [Government of Somalia vs. Al-Shabaab]*	3,034
Burkina Faso [Government of Burkina Faso************* vs. JNIM]	1,643
Mali [Government of Mali vs. JNIM]***	1,113
Nigeria [Government of Nigeria vs. IS]**	1,034
Ethiopia [Government of Ethiopia vs. OLA]	764
Central African Republic [Government of Central African Republic************** vs. CPC]	675
DR Congo [Government of DR Congo***************** vs. IS]	577
Nigeria [Government of Nigeria******************** vs. Jama'atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda'awati wal-Jihad]	428
Burkina Faso [Government of Burkina Faso vs. IS]******	404
DR Congo [Government of DR Congo**************** vs. M23]	384
Cameroon [Government of Cameroon vs. Ambayonia Insurgents]	375
Mozambique [Government of Mozambique******************* vs. IS]	373
Niger [Government of Niger vs. IS]*****	323
Mali [Government of Mali vs. IS]***	323
Niger [Government of Niger*********** vs. JNIM]	165
Burundi [Government of Burundi vs. RED-TABARA]**********	161
Nigeria [Government of Nigeria vs. IPOB]	88
Burundi [Government of Burundi vs. FNL-Ubugabo-Burihabwa**********]	73
Kenya [Government of Kenya vs. Al-Shabaab]*********	72
DR Congo [Government of DR Congo**************** vs. RNL]	47
Sudan [Government of Sudan vs. SLM/A]	47
Chad [Government of Chad vs. IS]	45
DR Congo [Government of DR Congo**************** vs. CNPSC]	41
DR Congo [Government of DR Congo**************** vs. Mayi Mayi Biloze Bishambuke]	39
Togo [Government of Togo vs. JNIM]	34
DR Congo [Government of DR Congo**************** vs. Mayi Mayi Kyandenga]	32
Cameroon [Government of Cameroon vs. Jama'atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda'awati wal-Jihad]	31
Benin [Government of Benin vs. JNIM]	30
Uganda [Government of Uganda vs. IS]	25
Angola [Government of Angola vs. FLEC-FAC-TN]	25

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Release date

June 2023

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Region

Africa

Survey time period

2022

Supplementary notes

According to source, provided numbers are (best) estimated battle-related deaths in the given conflict year.

* The following governments are aiding Somalia: Government of Burundi, Government of Djibouti, Government of Ethiopia, Government of Ghana, Government of Kenya, Government of Nigeria, Government of Sierra Leone, Government of Uganda, Government of United States of America, Government of Zambia
** The following governments are aiding Nigeria: Government of Cameroon, Government of Chad, Government of Niger
*** The following governments are aiding Mali: Government of Armenia, Government of Austria, Government of Bangladesh, Government of Belgium, Government of Benin, Government of Bhutan, Government of Bosnia-Herzegovina, Government of Burkina Faso, Government of Burundi, Government of Cambodia (Kampuchea), Government of Cameroon, Government of Canada, Government of Chad, Government of China, Government of Czech Republic, Government of Denmark, Government of Egypt, Government of El Salvador, Government of Estonia, Government of Ethiopia, Government of Finland, Government of France, Government of Gambia, Government of Germany, Government of Ghana, Government of Guatemala, Government of Guinea, Government of Indonesia, Government of Ireland, Government of Italy, Government of Ivory Coast, Government of Jordan, Government of Kenya, Government of Latvia, Government of Liberia, Government of Lithuania, Government of Madagascar, Government of Mauritania, Government of Mexico, Government of Nepal, Government of Netherlands, Government of Niger, Government of Nigeria, Government of Norway, Government of Pakistan, Government of Portugal, Government of Romania, Government of Senegal, Government of Sierra Leone, Government of Spain, Government of Sri Lanka, Government of Sweden, Government of Switzerland, Government of Togo, Government of Tunisia, Government of Turkey, Government of Ukraine, Government of United Kingdom, Government of United States of America
***** The following governments are aiding Niger: Government of Chad, Government of France, Government of United States of America
****** The following governments are aiding Burkina Faso: Government of France, Government of Chad, Government of Niger.
********* The following governments are aiding Kenya: Government of United States of America
**********The following governments are aiding Burundi: Government of DR Congo (Zaire)
*********** The following governments are aiding Niger: Government of Burkina Faso, Government of Chad, Government of France, Government of United States of America. **************Central African Republican Government supported by Government of Argentina, Government of Bangladesh, Government of Benin, Government of Bhutan, Government of Bolivia, Government of Brazil, Government of Burkina Faso, Government of Burundi, Government of Cambodia (Kampuchea), Government of Cameroon, Government of Colombia, Government of Congo, Government of Czech Republic, Government of Djibouti, Government of Ecuador, Government of Egypt, Government of France, Government of Gabon, Government of Gambia, Government of Ghana, Government of Guatemala, Government of Guinea, Government of Indonesia, Government of Ivory Coast, Government of Jordan, Government of Kazakhstan, Government of Kenya, Government of Mali, Government of Mauritania, Government of Mexico, Government of Moldova, Government of Morocco, Government of Nepal, Government of Niger, Government of Nigeria, Government of Pakistan, Government of Paraguay, Government of Peru, Government of Philippines, Government of Portugal, Government of Romania, Government of Russia (Soviet Union), Government of Rwanda, Government of Senegal, Government of Serbia (Yugoslavia), Government of Sierra Leone, Government of Spain, Government of Sri Lanka, Government of Sweden, Government of Tanzania, Government of Togo, Government of Tunisia, Government of Turkey, Government of United States of America, Government of Vietnam (North Vietnam), Government of Zambia, Government of Zimbabwe (Rhodesia)
*************The following governments are aiding the Government of Burkina Faso: Government of Chad, Government of France, Government of Ghana, Government of Ivory Coast, Government of Niger, Government of Togo.
****************Supported by the Governments of Kenya, Nepal, South Africa, and Tanzania.
*****************Supported by the Governments of Kenya, Nepal, South Africa, Uganda and Tanzania.
******************Supported by the Government of Eritrea.
*******************Supported by: Government of Angola, Government of Botswana, Government of DR Congo (Zaire), Government of Lesotho, Government of Malawi, Government of Rwanda, Government of South Africa, Government of Tanzania, Government of Zambia.
********************Supported by the Government of Cameroon and the Government of Chad.

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