• • Burkina Faso saw fewer attacks in 2024, but they were far deadlier, killing more than 1,500 people.

• • Nearly half of the attacks were carried out by the jihadist group JNIM; ISIS was nearly absent.

• • The military government has turned to Russia for security help and formed a joint force with Mali and Niger.

Burkina Faso has once again been ranked the world’s most terrorism-affected country, according to the 2024 Global Terrorism Index released by the Institute for Economics & Peace (IEP), an independent research group based in Sydney.

In 2024, the country recorded 111 terrorist attacks—down 57% from the year before. But while the number of attacks dropped, they became far more deadly. A total of 1,532 people were killed, averaging 14 deaths per attack, compared to 7 in 2023.

The deadliest incident took place on August 24, 2024, in the Centre-Nord region. Between 200 and 600 civilians were killed.

The jihadist group Jamaat Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) was the most active in the country, responsible for nearly half of the attacks and a large share of the casualties. In contrast, the Islamic State only claimed one attack throughout the year. Many incidents were blamed on unidentified jihadist groups.

Since French troops pulled out in January 2023, Burkina Faso’s military-led government under Captain Ibrahim Traoré has deepened ties with Russia. Around 300 Russian paramilitary forces are now on the ground to help protect Burkina Faso’s leadership.

In early 2025, Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger announced a joint 5,000-strong anti-terrorism force to carry out regional operations, in hopes of better responding to the growing threat.

Armed groups continue to fund their campaigns by illegally mining gold in areas no longer under government control. The Burkinabe state now holds sway over only 50 to 60% of the national territory.

IEP, the organization behind the report, publishes global indices used by governments, NGOs, and the media to better understand conflict trends around the world. Pakistan was named the second most terrorism affected country in the same report.