Bissau — Africa's population will continue to grow through the second half of this century, nearly doubling its current level by 2050. If this population explosion is not properly managed by the respective governments and markets, it can increase problems like terrorism and crime.
A vicious cycle of poverty, chaos
Guinea-Bissau is a country located in West Africa on the Atlantic Ocean. A remnant of the Portuguese colonial era, the nation is described as a "narco-state" shrouded in darkness, in contrast to the bright cityscape of the capital, characterized by red roof tiles.
In February, a group of masked men burst into a government building in the middle of a parliament session, firing guns. The security guards were shot, after which the others fell one after the other.
"I prepared myself to kill myself. I saw government workers jumping out of windows and running away," said a female reporter from a local radio station who was at the scene.
The exchange of fire continued for more than five hours in which a total of 11 people were killed. President Umaro Sissoco Embalo fled and said that night that the attackers who attempted the coup were linked to drug trafficking in the country.
Guinea-Bissau, which has been in political turmoil since a 1998 civil war, is believed to be a transit point for cocaine shipped from South America to Europe. Colombian drug cartels have influence over Guinea-Bissau's politicians, military and police, leaving the country in a precarious state.
The Sahel region, which includes Mali east of Guinea-Bissau and Burkina Faso, is considered one of the most insecure places in the world. According to United Nations estimates, 2.6 million people have fled the genocide in the region.
Islamic militants based on the Sahel are believed to be acting as couriers for Guinea-Bissau's drug cartels and are financed in return.
Many locals say the militants are just a criminal group out to make money. Unlike the Islamic State in the Middle East, which recruits fighters from around the world who sympathize with its extremism, many members of militant groups in the Sahel are young people from certain ethnic groups seeking to escape poverty. are They also lack education.
Sahel has seen the fastest population growth in Africa. Weak governance has undermined public security and led to economic stagnation, triggering a vicious cycle of further chaos.
A former senior government official in Burkina Faso said the crisis would be difficult to overcome without rooting out corruption and nepotism.
Escape to Europe
A wave of people fleeing violence and poverty has reached Europe.
In late June, 23 people were killed in clashes with Moroccan security forces as more than 2,000 migrants tried to cross the border into the Spanish enclave of Melilla in Morocco, which faces the Mediterranean Sea.
Spanish newspaper El Pais ran a front-page photo of Africans crowding the border fence, showing how Europe sees immigration as a threat.
Will the population explosion in Africa lead to a situation that will shake the international community? Avoiding the crisis will depend on better governance and strong measures to tackle poverty there.
