Africa is still faced with myriads of insecurities in the 21st century, both from within and without. However, there has been some progress, especially in the sub-Saharan African nations—breeding a leap of hope for future generations.
Much of the conflicts in the region have been attributed to political, economic, social, and environmental factors, which remain a complex issue even in unstabilizing several other countries outside the continent.
Weak governance has contributed to corruption, crippling institutions, including the independence ones, which undermines stability and creates loopholes for major internal conflicts in some African nations. The ongoing war in Sudan has created one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world. That’s a manifestation of weak governance and an overriding interest in the people’s will.
Again, Africa has sustained authoritarianism for decades, which is akin to suppression and limited democratic freedoms—propelling social unrest and violence, and especially during elections. Some of the longest-serving political leaders in the world are in Africa
Cross-border disputes have remained unresolved for decades in Africa and still remain the biggest threat to peace and stability in the region. Ethiopia-Egypt deteriorating relations over the Blue Nile could be the boiling point of a looming crisis in the Horn of Africa and needs an early intervention before the spillover.
With the growing inequality and poverty in the region, internal conflicts remain a threat like never before. Ethnic and religious divisions have also contributed to terrorism, which is currently rampant in West and East African countries. Burkina Faso and Mali are the worst-hit countries.
It’s not known when peace will be fully achievable with the expanding geopolitical tensions, but at least some countries are gaining stability and others haven’t recorded any conflict for more than a decade.
Muaritius is the most peaceful country in Africa in 2024, has remained so for 17 years, and is ranked 22nd worldwide. Madagascar and Botswana are ranked 3rd and 4th, and an overall rank at positions 44th and 50th, respectively. Both Mauritius and Madagascar appreciated with an overall score of 1.55 and 1.838, respectively.
Botswana and Ghana depreciated in their overall score in 2024. South Sudan is the least peaceful country in Africa, 166th in the overall ranking. The ongoing war in Sudan has largely disrupted stability in the South, crippled the economy, and could get worse due to the increasing influx of refugees from Sudan.
