Top FIVE ‘most dangerous’ African countries

Amidst terrorist threats and political turmoil, peace in African nations has faced severe challenges. Here is a list of the top five dangerous African countries in 2023.

The Global Peace Index crafted by the Institute for Economics and Peace in Sydney listed the countries, reported Briefly^.

This index evaluates 23 indicators across three factors: societal safety, ongoing conflicts, and militarization. A higher GPI indicates greater danger

1. SOUTH AFRICA

In 2023, South Africa has the highest crime rate in Africa, with 76.86 crimes per 100,000 people, as reported by World Population Review^[3], making it one of the most dangerous countries in Africa.

South Africa ranks third globally in terms of crime rate, particularly notable for its high incidence of assaults, homicides, and other violent offenses.

Several factors contribute to this, including widespread poverty, inequality, unemployment, social exclusion, and the acceptance of violence.

The country also faces one of the world’s highest rates of sexual assault, with over 25% of surveyed men admitting to having committed rape, according to the South African Medical Research Council.

2. SOUTH SUDAN

While there has been a slight improvement in South Sudan’s security, it remains the most troubled country in Africa. Internal conflicts have caused widespread displacement, affecting around 35% of the population.

The economic toll of violence, relative to GDP, reached a staggering 41% in 2021, making it the second most perilous nation worldwide.

3. DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO

Persistent armed conflicts have brought instability to this resource-rich nation. An astonishing 4.5 million people have been uprooted, and over 800,000 have sought refuge in neighboring countries.

The Congolese government’s attempts to quell the violence by armed groups, which originated after the 1994 Rwanda genocide, have been unsuccessful. Numerous international and regional peacekeeping bodies have made efforts to intervene.

4. SOMALIA

Prolonged political turmoil and terrorism have made Somalia one of Africa’s riskiest locations, eroding its peace for nearly thirty years.

The extremist group Al-Shabaab, with strong ties to Al-Qaeda and ISIS, has exerted significant control in the region over an extended period.

This has resulted in over 20% of Somalia’s population being displaced within the country.

5. CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC

The ongoing Central African Republic Civil War has displaced over 20% of the population, while the country’s relative economic cost of violence was 37% of the GDP in 2021.

The violent chaos has been caused by armed conflicts between rebel groups since 2012.