The IntelCentre has recently released a list of the 10 most dangerous countries in the world. IntelCentre’s Country Threat Index (CTI) examines the volume of terrorist and rebel alerts, messaging traffic, videos, photos, incidents and the number of people killed or injured in a country and runs it through an algorithm to assign a country its CTI.
The report states the CTI should not be the only measure of risk, but rather a factor to take into consideration. The CTI only considers terrorist and rebel related activity and does not take into account crime and political instability.
Following are the 10 most dangerous countries in the world:
#10. Egypt – CTI score 74.
Egypt has been in political turmoil since the overthrow of military dictator Hosni Mubarak during the 2011 Egyptian Revolution and later under Mohamed Morsi, the country’s first democratically elected president. Morsi’s term has been plagued by political violence in a deeply polarized country that ultimately led to his ousting.
#9. Ukraine – CTI score 103.
After the Russian occupation of Crimea in 2014, a number of pro Russian groups took to the streets of Ukraine in armed conflicts.
#8. Pakistan – CTI score 122.
Pakistan is considered to be the country most affected by terrorism after Iraq. Terror outfits like the Lashkar-e-Taiba, the Harkat-ul-Mujahideen and the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan are a prominent threat in the nation.
#7. Yemen- CTI score 132.
On 21st September 2014 the Houthis undertook a coup d’état and overthrew the government of Yemen, beginning with the resignation of Prime Minister Mohammad Basindawa.
#6. Libya – CTI score 157.
The Libyan civil war started amongst others in the region during the Arab Spring. Initially it resulted in the ousting of its leader Colonel Gaddafi. The aftermath of this was a renewed civil war in 2014.
#5. Afghanistan – CTI score 186.
With foreign forces withdrawing their troops after the invasion in 2001. The Taliban has been fortifying its hold over the country. Continued violence and attacks against civilians have made the last 12 months the bloodiest since 2001.
#4. Somalia – CTI score of 257.
For the last 20 years Somalia has been enduring a brutal civil war between the Transitional Federal Government supported by the United Nations and various groups of Islamist rebels, some of which are linked to al-Qaeda.
#3. Nigeria – CTI score 273.
Boko Haram is an Islamist extremist group that is responsible for killing over 5,000 civilians between 2009 and 2014. It has abducted over 500 men, women and children since 2009 including the kidnapping of 276 schoolgirls in April 2014.
#2. Syria – CTI score of 717.
Syria is currently in the midst of a civil war that started during the spring of 2011 within the context of the Arab Spring. The United Nations has declared over 100,000 casualties since the civil war started, however, other agencies claim the number is closer to 300,000.
#1. Iraq – CTI score of 811.
Iraq has been in the foreground of continuous sectarian violence between the Shia and Sunni Muslims. The Islamist extremist group ISIS currently occupies parts of Iraq, such as Fallujah, Mosul, Anbar and more.