West Africa Security Tracker (May 2025)

In May 2025, West Africa experienced a sharp escalation in violence, marking the second-deadliest month of the year with 2,409 conflict-related fatalities across 985 incidents. The report, compiled by the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD-West Africa), presents a granular, data-driven analysis of the region's evolving security landscape. Nigeria and Burkina Faso together accounted for over 75% of the month's fatalities, driven by insurgent offensives, retaliatory militia violence, and increasingly lethal state responses. Niger, Mali, and Benin also recorded significant surges in conflict incidents, while coastal states like Ghana, Guinea, and Ivory Coast faced rising civic unrest and communal tensions, signalling a growing fragility beyond traditional Sahelian conflict zones.

The report reveals how hybrid threats—from jihadist insurgencies and extrajudicial state actions to communal violence and political protests—are converging across the region, blurring the lines between war and governance failure. With no peace agreements recorded in any of the 16 monitored countries, the absence of structured dialogue and enduring institutional weaknesses continue to erode civilian protection and trust in state mechanisms. By documenting patterns of violence, mapping actor dynamics, and highlighting strategic developments, the report underscores the urgent need for holistic, rights-centred responses that go beyond military containment to address the root causes of instability.