Africa continues to be the most affected region in the world by extremist violence, as highlighted in the 2025 Global Terrorism Index. Despite years of military interventions, diplomatic efforts, and attempts to stabilize volatile areas, terrorism remains deeply entrenched across much of the continent.

But what makes the fight against terrorism in Africa so challenging?

In this CGTN report, Enock Sikolia interviews Kabir Adamu, Managing Director of Beacon Security and Intelligence Limited, to investigate the root causes of terrorism and the ongoing challenges faced across some of the continent's most vulnerable regions.

Terrorism hotspots in Africa: From the Sahel to the Horn of Africa

The Sahel, Lake Chad Basin, Horn of Africa, Central Africa, and Cabo Delgado in northern Mozambique have long struggled with extremist violence. According to the 2025 Global Terrorism Index (GTI), these regions continue to face a lethal combination of political instability, weak governance, and competition for natural resources—conditions that have created fertile ground for the rise of extremism.

Kabir Adamu, Managing Director of Beacon Security and Intelligence Limited, explains that the lack of effective governance, particularly in the security sector, is a key enabler of terrorism. "If you narrow it down to weak security sector governance, especially where you see heavy-handedness by security forces and poor judicial systems, extremist groups capitalize on that," he says. "They use it as a basis for recruitment."

These vulnerabilities have given terrorist groups the breathing room they need to grow, recruit, and organize across the continent.

The 2025 Global Terrorism Index: A grim picture for Africa

The GTI uses a five-year weighted average to track attacks, deaths, injuries and kidnappings, offering a clear picture of which regions are most affected by terrorism.

Burkina Faso, Mali, and Nigeria continue to top the list of the 10 African countries most impacted by terrorism. They are followed by Somalia, Niger, DR Congo, Cameroon, Mozambique, Chad, and Sudan.

These regions have become synonymous with conflict, stemming from a combination of historical instability and the exploitation of weak state institutions by armed groups.

"These countries reemerge repeatedly because the conditions that allow terrorism to survive haven't changed," says Adamu. "Terrorism thrives in areas where governance is weak, and resources are scarce or poorly managed. You add to that the presence of militant groups with access to weapons and it creates a perfect storm."

In Nigeria and Cameroon, the ongoing fight against Boko Haram and the Islamic State in West Africa Province remains a major challenge, with these groups continuing to launch deadly attacks, despite significant military efforts to defeat them.

In Somalia, al-Shabaab remains a persistent threat, continuing to carry out deadly assaults despite years of military pressure. Similarly, in the Democratic Republic of Congo, armed groups continue to finance their terror operations through exploitation of the country's wealth in gold, cobalt, and coltan.

Meanwhile, in Mozambique, Cabo Delgado has been under the grip of an Islamist insurgency, disrupting gas projects and critical trade routes.

Weapons and expertise fueling ongoing conflict

One of the key drivers of extremism in Africa is the availability of weapons—and these weapons are often smuggled into conflict zones. Adamu points out the increasingly cheap and accessible arms in countries like Sudan. "Weapons are being ferried into Sudan," he notes. "An AK-47 that was once priced at $8,500 now costs as little as $100 in certain parts of the country."

These low prices mean that terror groups and insurgents gain access to more weapons, while the expertise required to use them spreads across local communities, often creating ex-soldiers or militants who are hard to reintegrate into society after conflict.

The challenge of cooperation between African nations

Efforts to combat terrorism in Africa have been hampered by a lack of cooperation between countries, often due to political rivalries and external alliances. Adamu explains that the web of linkages between countries, particularly their relationships with global powers, creates tensions that obstruct collaboration.

For instance, Niger might refuse to cooperate with Nigeria because of its ties with France, while Benin could avoid working with Niger due to that country's growing relationship with Russia.

This fractured cooperation undermines efforts to coordinate a continental response to terrorism and makes it harder for African countries to tackle the shared threat of extremism.

The human cost of terrorism in Africa

Terrorism has taken a devastating toll on the people of Africa. The impact is not just in terms of lost lives but also the widespread displacement of civilians, the destruction of schools, and the collapse of economies. As the 2025 GTI reveals, Africa continues to bear the heaviest burden of extremist violence globally.

Burkina Faso, Mali and Nigeria have experienced thousands of deaths and millions displaced. Local economies have been devastated, infrastructure destroyed, and opportunities for development lost. In many instances, these nations find themselves trapped in cycles of poverty and violence, with no clear path to recovery.

"The impact of terrorism has been devastating," the report notes. "Lives have been lost, economies have been crippled, and entire communities have been displaced."

The path forward: More than just security

While security measures such as joint military operations and foreign interventions have played a role in countering terrorism, experts argue that a sustainable solution will require more than just a military response.

Adamu believes the key to ending extremism lies in rebuilding the state itself—a state that must offer better governance, fairer economic opportunities, and stronger institutions to address the root causes of terrorism.

"Fixing the state means fixing the opportunities for extremism to thrive," Adamu asserts. "Until the governance structures improve, extremism will continue to flourish."

Adamu says that for Africa to break free from the vicious cycle of violence, the solutions must go beyond military intervention; they must involve long-term investment in governance, reconciliation, and development to ensure that terrorism no longer finds fertile ground to thrive.

Edited by CGTN Africa Reporter Halligan Agade