World News – AU – Sub-Saharan Africa named Riskiest Investment Region due to violence

Annual Global Terrorism Index highlights attacks in Mozambique and the Democratic Republic of the Congo and says human rights abuses drive violence

Militant violence and ill-treatment by security forces have made sub-Saharan Africa the riskiest region in the world for businesses and investors, a new report says.

Seven of the ten countries in the world with the highest risk of militant violence are in the region with significant deterioration in Mozambique and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo). This comes from the annual terrorism intensity index released on Friday by risk advisor Verisk Maplecroft.

Much of the concern was about the attacks by Boko Haram in West Africa and other militias in the Central African Sahel, warning that the conflict could spread regionally.

The report highlights risks for companies and employees at locations and transport routes and warns that government troops also pose a risk.

Alexandre Raymakers, Verisk Maplecroft’s senior Africa analyst, said companies wanted to avoid « being associated with a government that provides security but security forces commit human rights abuses ». .

« Human rights violations and atrocities committed by the security forces are drivers of recruitment by extremist groups, » he said. “More and more violent extremist organizations will use this narrative [for recruiting]. . ”

The Sahel was the target of a coordinated anti-militant action by the regional governments, supported by France. However, this year the number of civilians killed by government forces has increased.

Raymakers said that while militant groups have become more effective, government counter-offensives have often failed and exacerbated core problems due to abuses against civilians.

« In general, counter-terrorism strategies are mostly focused on the military and use armed forces to search for and destroy armed outfits. The problem is that these groups are driven by a number of local grievances, ”Raymakers said.

Burkina Faso, Mali, Somalia, Cameroon, Mozambique, Niger and the Democratic Republic of the Congo have been classified as extremely vulnerable.

Mozambique had seen a dramatic change this year as militancy in its remote Cabo Delgado region, previously seen as a limited threat, now spilled over into the wider region and posed a serious challenge to security forces.

Rights groups have claimed that military abuse, neglect and the actions of companies attempting to exploit Cabo Delgado’s recent gem and gas discoveries have sparked a “cocktail of violence”. .

Africa, coronavirus, terrorism