OECD – Roads and Conflicts in North and West Africa

This report explores the relationship between transport systems and conflict dynamics in North and West Africa over 24 years. Roads, railways, and ports are essential for economic development and the movement of goods and people, forming one of the cornerstones of regional integration. Because of this role, they are also frequent targets of attack and conflict. Since the late 2000s, transport-related violence has surged in West Africa, driven by jihadist insurgencies and rebellions. A similar trend has been observed in North Africa following the First Libyan Civil War in 2011.