West Africa continues to face widespread insecurity, with violence deeply affecting governance, economic activity, and everyday life across the region. In March 2025, the security situation deteriorated further, according to data from the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data (ACLED) project. A total of 899 security incidents were recorded, a 6.4% increase from February’s 845 incidents. Fatalities surged even more sharply, rising from 1,678 in February to 1,944 in March, a 15.8% spike. This upward trend reverses the modest decline seen earlier in the year and raises concerns of a sustained escalation.

The increase in both frequency and lethality of incidents underscores the ability of non-state armed groups to continue mounting deadly attacks despite ongoing military operations. Conflict hotspots such as the Sahel, the Lake Chad Basin, and parts of coastal West Africa remain particularly vulnerable, with civilians often caught in the crossfire or deliberately targeted. While some countries remain relatively stable, others are seeing a worrying spread of violence into new areas. The persistent insecurity highlights growing pressure on national governments and regional bodies to shift from reactive, militarised responses toward preventive and coordinated strategies. Without such efforts, insecurity could continue to worsen, reaching areas that had previously remained stable and undermining fragile gains in peace and development.