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Useful sources about Africa

Crime & justice

Data and commentary on global terrorism incidents

The RAND Database of Worldwide Terrorism Incidents includes terrorism data from 1968 to 2009. Data access requires free registration. It provides disaggregated data as well as commentary, reports and analysis on conflict in Africa.
Crime & justice

Systematic data on domestic and international terrorism events

This open database includes information on terrorist-related activities from 1970 to 2016. It includes data on domestic and international terrorist incidents with information on the date, locations, weapons, nature of targets, casualties and, when identifiable and available, responsible parties.
Crime & justice

Country data on drugs and crime in Africa

The UN Office on Drugs and Crime’s Data for Africa initiative aims to improve knowledge of drugs and crime on the continent, generate better data, analyse and report at national, regional and international level and provide a regional platform for data exchange. It includes a series of crime victimisation surveys for each country.
Crime & justice

Global prison database by African country

The World Prison Brief’s database provides data on the number of prisons, ministries responsible, prison population rates, pre-trial detainees and female prisoners for each African country.

Crime & justice

Global Terrorism Index 2020

This is the eighth edition of the Global Terrorism Index (GTI). The report provides a comprehensive summary of the key global trends and patterns in terrorism over the last 50 years, placing a special emphasis on trends over the past decade. This period corresponds with the rise and fall of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).

The GTI report is produced by the Institute for Economics & Peace (IEP) using data from the Global Terrorism Database (GTD) and other sources. Data for the GTD is collected and collated by the National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism (START) at the University of Maryland. The GTD contains over 170,000 terrorist incidents for the period 1970 to 2019.

Crime & justice

World Prison Population List 2018

The World Prison Brief is an online database providing free access to information on prison systems around the world. It is a unique resource, which supports evidence-based development of prison policy and practice globally.

The World Prison Brief is hosted by the Institute for Crime & Justice Policy Research (ICPR), at Birkbeck, University of London. It was launched in 2000 using data compiled by Roy Walmsley, Director of the World Prison Brief.

Crime & justice

Conflict analysis and crisis mapping

The Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project collects and maps disaggregated data on reported political violence and protests, including dates, actors, types of violence, locations and fatalities.
Crime & justice

UN crime and justice library

The United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute’s library aims to contribute to the global sharing of criminal justice information. It includes publications, reports and other electronic resources on crime and justice, as well as an international criminology directory. It was established in 1969.
Crime & justice

UN Office on Drugs and Crime database

The UN Office on Drugs and Crime’s database gives statistics on police, data, criminal justice and prisons across the world and in Africa.

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