Welcome to the June edition of the Armed Conflict Location & Event Dataset (ACLED) Conflict Trends. Each month, realtime conflict event data is collected, published through our research partners at Climate Change and African Political Stability (CCAPS), and presented in a report which contrasts continental, regional, national and subnational data on political violence in contemporary and historical perspective. Data from 1997 to 2012 is available at acleddata.com, along with previous Conflict Trends reports, country profiles for key conflict-affected states, thematic special features, and information on the data collection and publication process.
This month’s report looks at the ongoing conflict in Nigeria, which intensified this month with the declaration of a state of emergency in the northeast of the country and a renewed commitment on the part of the federal government to oust the northern Islamist militant group, Boko Haram.
Conflict events fell slightly in DR-Congo, which is also profiled, although high fatality levels - both in terms of contemporary, historical and continental trends - mean the conflict is still very much ongoing in spite of talks of a potential settlement between the government and the M23 on the horizon. Political violence in Niger, Senegal and South Africa is also detailed.