Infographic: Armed conflicts displace millions in East, Central Africa

The twin factors of conflict and violence continues to adversely affect countries in East and Central Africa region, according to a September 2018 report by Geneva-based International Displacement Monitoring Center, IDMC.

In a list of the top 10 countries affected by instability leading to mass displacements, six African countries made the ranking with a combined displacement figure of over 3.5 million. The period under consideration being the first half of 2018 – January to June.

Ethiopia’s internally displaced figure of 1.4 million put it top of the ranking, 200,000 more than that of Syria. Democratic Republic of Congo came in third with 946,000 displaced.

The other Central African country on the list was Central African Republic in sixth spot with 232,000. Somalia (5th with 341,000) and South Sudan (7th with 215,000) completed the list for East Africa.

The sole West African country that made the list was Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation recorded an internally displaced figure of 417,000 as a result of Boko Haram attacks in the North East and communal clashes along the middle belt.

The non African nations listed were Syria (2nd – 1.2 million), Afghanistan (8th – 168,000), India (9th – 166,000) and Yemen (10th – 142,000).

Comparative review of figures January – June 2017 and 2018.

Ethiopia – 213,000 (2017) now 1.4 million
DR Congo – 997,000 now 946,000
Nigeria – 142,000 now 417,000
Somalia – 166,000 now 341,000
C. A. R. – 206,000 now 232,000
S. Sudan – 163,000 now 215,000

The above figures indicate that all the countries with the exception of DR Congo grew their internally displaced population as per figures of 2017 vis-a-vis 2018.

In the Central Africa region, there is also the Anglophone crisis in Cameroon that has caused internal displacements and caused others to flee across the border into Nigeria.

Much of Southern Africa remains relatively peaceful except for recent cases of violent attacks in parts of Mozambique. West Africa’s insecurity in the Sahel region is seen in combat between state actors and terrorist elements.

@alfaafrican