International Day of Remembrance and Tribute to the Victims of Terrorism

  The Sahel region of sub-Saharan Africa continues to suffer from the effects of increased political instability, amplified geopolitical tensions, and t he use of hard counterterrorism measures to deter and destroy the threat from Salafi-jihadi groups . While sub-Saharan Africa recorded a five per cent decline in terrorism deaths in 2024 to 909 from the prior year, the Sahel has seen the steepest increases in terrorism deaths globally, with nearly 20,000 deaths since 2019 and 3,885 deaths in 2024. The Sahel region faces many converging and complex social, economic, political and security challenges. These are likely to continue to undermine the development of the conditions necessary for stability, trapping the Sahel in a cycle of violence and vulnerability. The region has seen large changes in its conflict dynamics with an array of armed state and non-state actors waging war, controlling large swathes of territory and using resource extraction and illicit economies to advance the...

Thre are been a sharp increase in antisemitic violence and hate crimes across the West , with attacks on synagogues recorded in Europe , Australia, and the US.  The number of terrorist incidents in Europe doubled over the past year, from 34 attacks in 2023 to 67 in 2024, including attacks carried out by IS and Hamas. The number of antisemitic incidents in the US rose by over 200 per cent in 2024. The number of FBI-recorded hate crime incidents targeting the Jewish community rose by 270 per cent in the two months after the start of the Gaza war

The Table 1.1 highlights the ten countries most impacted by terrorism in the GTI 2025 , and how their ranks have changed since 2011. There has been considerable variation in these countries over this period. Only four of the ten countries in 2024 were ranked in the ten most affected in 2011. The GTI is a composite measure that evaluates the impact of terrorism through a weighted analysis of incidents, deaths, injuries and hostages taken . To provide a nuanced perspective, the GTI incorporates a five-year weighted lag, acknowledging that the prolonged effects terrorist activities can have a impact on a nation’s social and psychological wellbeing . Detailed information on the methodology used to calculate the index is available in Appendix C. Burkina Faso remains the most affected country for the second consecutive year, a significant change from its rank of 114th in 2011. Burkina Faso is followed by Pakistan and Syria in the worst three. Pakistan reached its highest position since 201...