Which African countries are the most dangerous?
Somalia, South Sudan and Sudan are considered as the most dangerous countries in Africa in 2023, according to the Global Peace Index. The rank is based on current economical, political, governmental situation and crime statistics. Traveling in these countries on your own is not recommended and you should be guarded by local police guide.
Next, we will consider the ten most dangerous countries within the continent of Africa in 2023. Sadly, most of these nations sit at the very bottom of the GPI index rankings when compared to all of the other countries in the world.
10. Democratic Republic of Congo – 2.210
The biggest nation of sub-Saharan Africa and second biggest on the continent is the DRC. This Congo (formerly called Zaire) is also the 11th biggest territorially on earth. The population amounts to 84 million, earning it the spot of largest French speaking nation and fourth-biggest nation by population on the continent. The DRC is also the 16th highest populated nation in the globe. There has been a continuous military struggle in the eastern region of Kivu dating back to 2015.
The large territory of the DRC is based on the Congo River Basin. This country boasts vast natural resources but has not been able to capitalize on them because of poor infrastructure, political instability in government, severe corruption, and little development despite several hundred years of colonial exploitation and theft by the Belgians and their imperialist King Leopold.
The three largest cities are capital Kinshasa, Lubumbashi, and Mbuhi-Mayi, the latter two of which are mining cities. The biggest single export from the DRC is raw minerals, over half of which went to China in 2012.
Per 2018, approximately 600,000 native Congolese had immigrated from conflicts in the east and center of the nation to neighboring states that are more peaceful. There are a shocking two million children at risk of starvation, while the conflict has forced the displacement of over 4.5 million inhabitants.
9. Chad – 2.699
Chad, located in central Africa, has faced significant challenges that contribute to its reputation as a dangerous country. One of the primary factors is its volatile internal conflicts. Chad has experienced numerous armed rebellions, insurgencies, and political instability, resulting in violence and displacement of populations. These conflicts often spill over into neighboring countries, exacerbating regional tensions and instability.
Additionally, Chad’s vast and porous borders make it a breeding ground for transnational crime, including arms and drug trafficking, smuggling, and the presence of extremist groups. This poses a serious security threat not only to Chad but also to the wider region.
8. Nigeria – 2.713
The Federal Republic of Nigeria is a state in West Africa. It is located in the Atlantic Ocean, between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf of Guinea to the south. With over 225 million inhabitants, it is the sixth most populous country in the world and the most populous country in Africa. It has a total area of 923,769 square kilometers (356,669 sq mi).
Nigeria has a Level 3 advisory, reconsider Travel by the U.S. government.
This is due to the prevalence of violent crime in the nation, which includes armed robbery, assault, carjacking, abduction, hostage-taking, banditry, and rape. Kidnappings for ransom usually target American people who look wealthy as well as dual nationals who have visited Nigeria recently. On interstate routes, kidnapping groups have also stopped victims.
In Nigeria, terrorists are still planning and executing out assaults. Targeting malls, markets, hotels, houses of worship, restaurants, bars, schools, public buildings, transit hubs, and other locations where large groups congregate, terrorists may launch attacks with little or no advance notice. It is well known that terrorists collaborate with nearby gangs to broaden their influence
7. Burkina Faso – 2.868
According to the Canadian Government, Travelers should avoid all travel to Burkina Faso, especially in the northern area and border region as follows.
Northern region
Due to the proximity of Mali and Niger, where criminal and terrorist groups are active, the threat of kidnapping remains in Burkina Faso’s northern region. If you intend to visit these areas despite the warning:
- maintain constant vigilance
- use a variety of unpredictable routes and itineraries
- use an armed security force as an escort
Border regions
Terrorism, banditry, and kidnapping are all prevalent in Burkina Faso’s border regions, particularly along its borders with:
- Benin
- Côte d’Ivoire
- Mali
- Niger
- Togo
6. Ethiopia – 2.872
Ethiopia has a level 3 travel advisory (Reconsider Travel) by the U.S. government.
According to the officials, travelers should reconsider travel to Ethiopia “due to armed conflict, civil unrest, communications disruptions, crime, and the potential for terrorism and kidnapping in border areas.”
Travelers must not visit:
- Tigray region and border with Eritrea due to military clashes, civil unrest and crime.
- Amhara region due to armed conflict and civil instability
- Afar region due to armed conflict and civil instability
- Border area with Somalia due to the possibility of terrorism, kidnappings, and land mines.
- Border areas with Sudan and South Sudan have been closed due to crime, kidnappings, civil unrest, and ongoing fighting between numerous armed groups.
5. Central African Republic – 2.934
Presence of UN troops is the only large-scale security measure in CAR. Major contributors are Rwanda, Pakistan and Bangladesh. Cameroon troops patrol the center of Bozoum during the regional Mining Center opening. Unfortunately, is possible that the center will attract attention of armed groups.
The Central African Republic attained its independence in 1960. It then suffered through a variety of dictatorial rulers that included a brief attempt at monarchy. In the 1990s, the clamor for democracy caused the country to undergo its initial multiple-party elections in the year 1993. The first democratically elected president was Ange-Felix Patasse. He later fell to General Francois Bozize during a 2003 year coup.
The following year, the Bush War erupted in the Central African Republic. Although peace treaties were signed first in 2007 then in 2011, the civil war began afresh by 2012. Per the year 2023, the CAR suffers still from that civil war that has not seen a conclusive ceasefire since it began in the year 2012.
The nation is well-endowed with substantial valuable minerals and resources like crude oil, diamonds, gold, uranium, lumber, cobalt, and hydropower, along with significant amounts of arable land, yet it remains one of the ten most impoverished nations on earth. Its GDP per capita ranked by purchasing power parity is the lowest in the world per year 2017.
4. Mali – 2.963
Mali is the large landlocked nation found in West Africa. This eighth biggest state of Africa has a population of only 19.1 million and a capital at Bamako. A high 67 percent of the national population was under 25 years of age back in 2017.
The national economy is built upon mining and agriculture. Among the national resources of great value are gold and salt. In fact, Mali is the third greatest gold producer on the continent to this day.
Mali has been beset by armed conflict since January of 2012. That year, the Tuareg rebels seized control of a northern territory in Mali. By April they had declared their own nation called Azawad. The struggle became more severe because of a corresponding military coup in March of the same year.
Fighting erupted between the Tuareg and various other rebel factions. Mali appealed to its former colonial masters the French for help. France dispatched a military expedition under the name of Operation Serval by January of 2013. It took only a month for the French-led Malian national forces to retake the majority of the northern rebel territory. On July 28th of 2013, the country went to the polls and finished its run-off second election on August 11th. They also engaged in legislative elections on November 24th and December 15th of the same year.
3. South Sudan – 3.221
South Sudan is considered the most dangerous country in Africa and 4th most dangerous in the world in 2022, according to GPI rank.
The UN Security Council will soon review the implementation of the arms embargo in South Sudan, which expired on May 31, 2023. Violence in South Sudan is often linked to human rights abuses and crimes under international law and contributes to the dire humanitarian situation in the country.
The government denies its involvement in much of the violence, calling it “inter-communal” and downplaying its role in conflicts caused by political power struggles and competition for resources.
This account ignores the fact that the root of conflict in South Sudan lies in interethnic political maneuvering and competition among elites for control of power and financial resources. This behavior is fueled by a “winner-takes-all” mentality, which is essential to prevail in a zero-sum political system.
2. Sudan – 3.023
The current conflict in Sudan explained:
The core of the conflict revolves around two individuals: Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, the military ruler and head of the army in Sudan, and General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (also known as Hemedti), the deputy leader and commander of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary group in the country.
In the past, the two men worked together closely to overthrow the former Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir in 2019 and played a significant role in the military coup in 2021.
However, tensions emerged during talks aimed at integrating the RSF into the country’s military as part of a plan to re-establish civilian rule. The main point of contention was the question of who would hold a position of subordination under the new hierarchy.
1. Somalia – 3.036
Somalia and its 15 million inhabitants have been called the most homogenous country culturally on the continent. Approximately 85 percent of the citizens claim to be ethnically Somali. A few minorities mostly live in the south of Somalia. The two national languages of Somalia prove to be Somali and Arabic. The majority of the population adheres to the Islamic faith as Sunnis.
In 1969, the Supreme Revolutionary Council grabbed power to set up the Somali Democratic Republic. This fell around 22 years after the fact in year 1991. The Somali Civil War destroyed it. This civil war caused the majority of its regions to go back to religious, traditional law.
By the onset of the new millennium, many federal administrations became established. The insurgents suffered the loss of the majority of their territory (that they had managed to seize over the past decades) by 2012 mid-year. An attempt to set up democracy ensued. August of 2012 saw the passage of a provisional constitution. The Federal Government of Somalia arose that same month and year.
Mogadishu the capital then became rebuilt after over two decades of fighting. Somalia’s economy today is highly informal. It relies heavily on livestock, telecommunications, and overseas Somalis remitting money back home to their families.
