The aftermath of a 2018 attack by the Taliban in Ghazni city, Afghanistan. Will terrorist attacks like this one be as common in 2019?
Reuters/Mustafa Andaleb
Schools and students are often targeted during times of armed conflict. Abducted children can be recruited as soldiers and schools are ideal locations for military headquarters.
Muslims pray at the Kofar Mata Central Mosque in Kano, Northern Nigeria. Liberal and fundamentalist Islam are in a contest of legitimacy in the region.
Reuters/Akintunde Akinleye
The debate around photos of two Nigerian Salafi clerics taken in London wasn’t a trivial conversation about dress and recreational choices. It was loaded with symbolism.
Members of the Civilian Joint Task Force, a vigilante group battling Boko Haram in north east Nigeria.
Reuters/Akintunde Akinleye
Inefficient policing in Nigeria has forced many communities to rely on vigilante groups for security. Despite using force and violence, many groups even have support from authorities.
Mozambique’s military responded swiftly following deadly attacks by Islamist gunmen on three police stations recently.
Reuters/Juda Ngwenya
The first Islamist attack carried out by Mozambicans in the country is particularly surprising given the pride the country takes in its sound and relaxed inter-religious relations.
Talking about ivory-funded terrorism overlooks the real sources of income for terror groups.
Author supplied
The idea that terror groups like Boko Haram fund their activities through ivory poaching in Africa is a compelling narrative. But it’s undermining wildlife conservation and human rights.
Women carry goods across a makeshift bridge in the Ilaje slum in Lagos. Widening inequality is fuelling tensions across Nigeria.
Reuters/Finbarr O'Reilly
Protests are raising tensions in Africa’s most populous country, with agitators and federal troops clashing on the streets. But is Nigeria on the brink of another civil war?
A woman takes an oral cholera vaccine in a hospital. But cholera vaccines are not always effective and never long lasting.
REUTERS/Andres Martinez Casares
Many states in Nigeria are reeling from cholera outbreaks. They need better health and sanitation infrastructure to disrupt transmission of the bacteria which cause the disease.
Leader of Fulani herdsmen Haruna Usman pictured by Reuters in 2014.
Reuters/Afolabi Sotunde
Attacks by Fulani herdsmen on communities in West Africa are increasing in number and in sophistication. Regional and national authorities must respond promptly to arrest the threat.
Professor of Francophone Studies (Africa, Caribbean), Faculty Affiliate with Africana Studies, World Literature Program and Human Rights Pracice, University of Arizona