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Africa · Live conflict signal

Wars in Africa 2026live conflict tracking across the continent

Sudan, the eastern DRC, the Sahel, the Horn — fifteen active fronts feeding one map. Catalyst overlays the commodity, currency and equity exposure each escalation drags with it.

Live surface

Conflict map — Africa

Follow active conflict markers in Africa as they appear and drill into the most relevant military and geopolitical updates.

6 mapped events

Theatre · Country exposure

Six fronts driving the continent

Each conflict drags a different commodity, currency or shipping lane with it. Click through to the country-level tracker for live events.

Live · Event stream

Active conflict events — Africa

Conflict updates ordered for fast scanning and route-through into the event detail surface.

Global Risk Index

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conflict and disaster are driving the current global risk posture.

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Hotspots · last 7 days

Most active regions

6 live

Catalyst layer · Market exposure

What an African escalation moves

Five commodity and shipping levers where conflict on the continent translates into a price tape elsewhere.

Open Catalyst

Markets at risk

Assets with live geopolitical exposure

Open markets hub

Journalists and OSINT researchers covering this conflict use VPNs to secure their connections, protect source confidentiality, and access censored regional media. See our recommended VPNs → or get NordVPN →

About this tracker

Active Conflicts Across Africa

Africa hosts more active armed conflicts than any other continent, with wars and insurgencies spanning the continent from the Sahel to the Horn of Africa to the Great Lakes region. The most devastating include the Sudan civil war (SAF vs. RSF, millions displaced), the DRC conflict (M23 and 100+ armed groups in eastern provinces), and the Sahel insurgency (jihadist groups across Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger).

Other significant conflicts include the Mozambique insurgency in Cabo Delgado (threatening gas developments), Somalia's war against al-Shabaab, periodic violence in Nigeria (Boko Haram, herder-farmer conflicts, banditry), and the aftermath of Ethiopia's Tigray war. Track all African conflicts on our conflict map and see detailed pages for Sudan and Congo.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many wars are happening in Africa right now?

Africa has over a dozen active armed conflicts of varying intensity. Major wars include Sudan (civil war), DRC (M23 rebellion and multi-group conflict), and the Sahel insurgency. Numerous other conflicts involve lower-intensity violence in Nigeria, Mozambique, Somalia, Ethiopia, and elsewhere.

What is causing the conflicts in Africa?

African conflicts have diverse causes including competition for power and resources, ethnic and sectarian tensions, jihadist insurgencies, climate-driven resource scarcity, and weak governance institutions. Many are exacerbated by external interference, arms flows, and the legacy of colonial borders that divided ethnic groups.

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Last updated 5/6/2026, 10:26:46 AM