10 most fragile African countries in 2023

Africa, a continent boasting 54 countries, each with its distinctive allure and influence, encapsulates an array of realities. In an earlier article, we reported the 10 most stable African countries in 2023, representing countries that have excelled in preserving order, cultivating economic prosperity, and ensuring a stable environment for their citizens.

Despite this achievement, some other countries grapple with overwhelming complexities. Limited resources, mismanagement, struggle for effective governance and the impact of global economic fluctuations amplify the hurdles these states must overcome to ensure the well-being of their populations.

In its 2023 Fragile States Index report, The Fund for Peace (FFP) revealed the most fragile African countries in 2023. The higher the value of the index, the more "fragile" the country is.

The Fragile States Index gauges vulnerability across pre-conflict, active conflict, and post-conflict scenarios, encompassing twelve conflict risk indicators. These indicators assess a state's condition, considering factors such as security apparatus, factionalized elites, economic decline, uneven economic development, human flight and brain drain, state legitimacy, human rights and rule of law, demographic pressures, refugees and IDPs, and external intervention.

For over 60 years, The Fund for Peace (FFP) has been a world leader in developing practical tools and approaches for reducing conflict. It boasts of programmatic experience in over 40 countries, focused on conflict early warning, peacebuilding, and sustainable development.

Below are the 10 most fragile African countries in 2023, according to the Fund for Peace: