Proliferation and Use of Improvised Explosive Devices in West Africa

The use and proliferation of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) in West Africa has intensified over the past two decades. Until now, the study of these phenomena and their impacts has rarely provided an overview of the status and evolution of IEDs proliferation and use in the sub-region. Through the implementation of a quantitative and qualitative incident methodology, this paper aims to establish a baseline of the state of proliferation intensity and a perspective on the nature of IEDs use in West Africa from 2010 to mid-2022. The results of this work shed light on how IEDs have proliferated in the sub-region through a geographical, strategic, operational, technical and contextual intensification of their uses. The paper thus provides a historical overview, while exploring potential future trends in the field. Received: 2022-11-22Revised: 2023-01-24