Mozambique records largest fall in terrorism deaths in the world

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Mozambique records largest fall in terrorism deaths in the world

11:01 CAT | 02 Mar 2022

Map: 2022 Global Terrorism Index

Mozambique recorded the largest drop in terrorism deaths with 414 fewer deaths in 2021, an 82 per cent decrease from the previous year

Mozambique has recorded the largest fall in terrorism deaths in the world, with 414 fewer deaths in 2021, an 82 per cent decrease on the previous year. The fall was driven by successful counterterrorism measures against IS by the Mozambican forces in conjunction with Rwanda and the SADC.

The number of deaths from terrorism in Mozambique fell by 82% between 2020 and 2021, to 93, the largest drop in the world, reveals a report published on Tuesday.

“The fall was driven by successful counterterrorism measures against IS performed by the Mozambican forces in conjunction with Rwanda and the Southern African Development Community (SADC),” write the authors of the 2022 Global Terrorism Index.

The report, released by Sydney-based Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP), concludes that, despite a 17% increase in the number of attacks worldwide (to 5,226), terrorism in 2021 caused 1.2% less fatalities out of a total of 7,142 lives lost.

The institute, which gathers data on incidents of terrorism, deaths, injuries and hostages, says that, in 2021, two thirds of the world’s countries did not register any terrorist attacks, and 119 countries registered no fatalities from terrorism, the best result since the institute started collecting data in 2007.

While Myanmar had the biggest increase in fatalities, Mozambique had the largest fall, reversing the trend after seven years of consecutive increases.

By 2020, the number of deaths from terrorism in Mozambique had increased by 48% to 507, but in 2021 it had decreased by 82% to 93, the report recalls.

The drop in the death toll was caused by a significant reduction in deaths attributed to elements linked to the Islamic State extremist group, responsible for seven attacks in 2021, against 22 in 2020.

The number of fatalities in Mozambique is now at its lowest level since 2017, the document concludes.

The Mozambican province of Cabo Delgado has been terrorised since 2017 by armed rebels, with some attacks claimed by the Islamic State extremist group.

The conflict has already caused more than 3,100 deaths, according to the ACLED conflict registration project, and displaced more than 859,000 people, according to the Mozambican authorities.

Since July, an offensive by government troops with the support of Rwanda, later joined by SADC troops, has increased security, recovering several areas where the rebels were present, but attacks continue in scattered parts of the province and neighbouring regions.