Hot spots of the planet conflicts wars on the map. Hot Spots
September 21 is the International Day of Peace and the day of general ceasefire and renunciation of violence. But today there are almost four dozen hot spots recorded in the world. Where and for what humanity is fighting today - in the material TUT.BY.
Gradation of conflicts:
Low intensity armed conflict- confrontation for religious, ethnic, political and other reasons. It is characterized by a low level of attacks and victims - less than 50 per year.
Medium-intensity armed conflict- occasional terrorist attacks and military operations using weapons. It is characterized by an average level of victims - up to 500 per year.
High intensity armed conflict- constant hostilities using conventional weapons and weapons of mass destruction (with the exception of nuclear weapons); involving foreign states and coalitions. Such conflicts are often accompanied by massive and numerous terrorist attacks. It is characterized by a high level of victims - from 500 per year or more.
Europe, Russia and Transcaucasia
Conflict in Donbass
Debaltsevo city, Donbass, Ukraine. February 20, 2015. Photo: ReutersStatus: regular clashes between separatists and the Ukrainian military, despite the ceasefire
Start: year 2014
Death toll: from April 2014 to August 2017 - more than 10 thousand people
The armed conflict in Donbass began in the spring of 2014. Pro-Russian activists, inspired by Russia's annexation of Crimea and dissatisfied with the new government in Kyiv, proclaimed the creation of the Donetsk and Lugansk people's republics. After the new Ukrainian authorities attempted to suppress protests by force in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, a full-scale armed conflict began, which has been dragging on for three years.
The situation in Donbass is not off the world agenda, as Kyiv accuses Moscow of helping the self-proclaimed republics, including through direct military intervention. The West supports these accusations, Moscow consistently denies them.
The conflict moved from the active phase to the medium-intensity phase after the launch of "" and the beginning.
But in the east of Ukraine they are still shooting, people are dying on both sides.
Caucasus and Nagorno-Karabakh
There are two other pockets of instability in the region that are classified as armed conflicts.
The war in the early 1990s between Azerbaijan and Armenia led to the formation of the unrecognized Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (). The last time large-scale military actions were recorded here, about 200 people died on both sides. But local armed clashes in which Azerbaijanis and Armenians die.
Despite all the efforts of Russia, the situation in the Caucasus remains extremely difficult: counter-terrorism operations are constantly being carried out in Dagestan, Chechnya and Ingushetia, Russian special services report on the liquidation of gangs and terrorist cells, but the flow of reports does not decrease.
Middle East and North Africa
The entire region was shocked in 2011 by "". From then to the present, Syria, Libya, Yemen and Egypt have been hot spots in the region. In addition, the armed confrontation in Iraq and Turkey has been going on for many years.
War in Syria
Status: constant hostilities
Start: 2011
Death toll: from March 2011 to August 2017 - from 330,000 to
Panorama of eastern Mosul in Iraq, March 29, 2017. Fighting for this city continued for more than a year. Photo: Reuters After the US invasion in 2003 and the collapse of Saddam Hussein's regime, Iraq began a civil war and rebellion against the coalition government. And in 2014, part of the country was captured by Islamic State militants. Now a motley company is fighting the terrorists: the Iraqi army with the support of US troops, the Kurds, local Sunni tribes and Shiite militias. This summer, the largest city that was under the control of ISIS, there is currently a struggle for control of Anbar province.
Radical Islamist groups are fighting Baghdad not only on the battlefield - in Iraq constantly with numerous casualties.
Libya
Status: regular clashes between different factions
Start: 2011
Exacerbation: year 2014
Death toll: from February 2011 to August 2017 - t 15,000 to 30,000
The conflict in Libya also began with the Arab Spring. In 2011, protesters against the Gaddafi regime were supported by airstrikes by the United States and NATO. The revolution won, Muammar Gaddafi was killed by a crowd, but the conflict did not die down. In 2014, a new civil war broke out in Libya, and since then dual power has reigned in the country - in the east of the country, in the city of Tobruk, a parliament elected by the people sits, and in the west, in the capital of Tripoli, the Government of National Accord, formed with the support of the UN and Europe, is ruled by Faez. Sarraj. In addition, there is a third force - the Libyan national army, which is fighting the Islamic State militants and other radical groups. The situation is complicated by the civil strife of local tribes.
Yemen
Status: regular missile and air strikes, clashes between different factions
Start: year 2014
Death toll: from February 2011 to September 2017 - more than 10 thousand people
Yemen is another country whose conflict dates back to the Arab Spring in 2011. President Ali Abdullah Saleh, who ruled Yemen for 33 years, transferred his powers to the country's Vice President Abd Rabbo Mansour al-Hadi, who won early elections a year later. However, he failed to retain power in the country: in 2014, a civil war broke out between Shiite rebels (Houthis) and the Sunni government. Al-Hadi was supported by Saudi Arabia, which, together with other Sunni monarchies and with the consent of the United States, is helping with both ground operations and air strikes. Also joined the fight ex-president Saleh, who is supported by some Shiite rebels and Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula.
Double in Ankara on October 10, 2015, at the site of the trade union meeting “Labor. World. Democracy". Its participants advocated for an end to hostilities between the Turkish authorities and the Kurds. According to official data, the number of victims was 97 people. Photo: Reuters The armed confrontation between the Turkish government and the fighters of the Kurdistan Workers' Party, who are fighting for the creation of Kurdish autonomy within Turkey, has continued from 1984 to the present. In the last two years, the conflict has escalated: Turkish authorities accused the Kurds of several crimes, after which they carried out purges.
The Knife Intifada and Lebanon
There are several other hot spots in the region that military experts classify as low-intensity “armed conflicts.”
First of all, this is the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, the next escalation of which was called “”. Between 2015 and 2016, there were more than 250 attacks by Islamic radicals armed with bladed weapons against Israelis. As a result, 36 Israelis, 5 foreigners and 246 Palestinians were killed. Attacks with knives and screwdrivers have died down this year, but armed attacks continue: in July, three Arabs attacked an Israeli police officer on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem.
Another smoldering hot spot is Lebanon. The smoldering conflict in Lebanon is at a low level of intensity only due to the authorities' emphasized neutrality regarding the civil war in Syria and the related conflict in Lebanon between Sunnis and Shiites. Lebanese Shiites and the Hezbollah group support the pro-Assad coalition, Sunnis oppose it, and radical Islamist groups oppose the Lebanese authorities. Armed clashes and terrorist attacks occur from time to time: the largest of them Lately was a double terrorist attack in Beirut in 2015, which resulted in...
Asia and Pacific
Afghanistan
Status: constant terrorist attacks and armed clashes
Beginning of the conflict: 1978
Escalation of the conflict: year 2001
Death toll: from 2001 to August 2017 - more than 150,000 people
Doctors at a hospital in Kabul examine a boy injured in a terrorist attack on September 15, 2017. On this day in Kabul, a booby-trapped tanker was blown up at a checkpoint leading to the diplomatic quarter. After the 9/11 terrorist attacks, NATO and the United States military contingent entered Afghanistan. The Taliban regime was overthrown, but a military conflict began in the country: the Afghan government, with the support of NATO and US forces, is fighting the Taliban and Islamist groups associated with Al-Qaeda and IS.
Despite the fact that 13 thousand NATO and US troops still remain in Afghanistan and there are now discussions about whether to do so, terrorist activity in the country remains high: dozens of people die in the republic every month.
The smoldering Kashmir conflict and the internal problems of India and Pakistan
In 1947, two states were formed on the territory of former British India - India and Pakistan. The partition took place along religious lines: provinces with a predominantly Muslim population went to Pakistan, and provinces with a Hindu majority to India. But not everywhere: despite the fact that the majority of the population of Kashmir were Muslims, this region was annexed to India.
Residents of Kashmir province stand on the rubble of three houses destroyed by an artillery strike by the Pakistani military. This strike was carried out in response to the shelling of Pakistani territories by Indian troops, who, in turn, responded to an attack by militants who, in their opinion, arrived from Pakistan. Photo: Reuters Since then Kashmir- a disputed territory between the two countries and the cause of three Indo-Pakistani wars and several smaller military conflicts. According to various sources, over the past 70 years it has claimed about 50 thousand lives. In April 2017, the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research published an annual report that identified the Kashmir conflict as one that could trigger a military conflict involving the use of nuclear weapons. Both India and Pakistan are members of the “club of nuclear powers” with an arsenal of several dozen nuclear warheads.
In addition to the general conflict, each country has several hot spots with varying degrees of intensity, all of which are recognized by the international community as military conflicts.
There are three of them in Pakistan: separatist movements in the western province Balochistan, the fight against the Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan group in an unrecognized state Waziristan and clashes between Pakistani security forces and various militant groups in the semi-autonomous region " Federally Administered Tribal Areas"(FATA). Radicals from these regions attack government buildings, law enforcement officers and carry out terrorist attacks.
There are four hotspots in India. In three Indian states - Assam, Nagaland and Manipur Due to religious and ethnic clashes, nationalist and separatist movements are strong and do not disdain terrorist attacks and hostage-taking.
And in 20 of the 28 Indian states there are Naxalites - Maoist militant groups who demand the creation of free self-governing zones, where they (of course!) will build the most real and correct communism. Naxalites practice attacks on officials and government troops and carry out more than half of the terrorist attacks in India. The country's authorities have officially declared the Naxalites terrorists and call them the main internal threat to the country's security.
Myanmar
Recently, the media, which usually does not pay attention to third world countries, has focused attention.
In this country, in August, the religious-ethnic conflict between the residents of the Rakhine state - Arakanese Buddhists and Rohingya Muslims - escalated. Hundreds of separatists from the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ASRA) attacked 30 police strongholds, killing 15 police and military personnel. After this, the troops began an anti-terrorist operation: in just one week, the military killed 370 Rohingya separatists, and 17 local residents were also reported accidentally killed. How many people died in Myanmar in September is still unknown. Hundreds of thousands of Rohingya have fled to Bangladesh, leading to a humanitarian crisis.
Southern Thailand
A number of radical Islamic organizations advocate the independence of the southern provinces of Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat from Thailand and demand either the creation of an independent Islamic state or the inclusion of the provinces in Malaysia.
Thai soldiers inspect the site of an explosion near a hotel in the resort area of the southern province of Pattani. August 24, 2016. Photo: Reuters Bangkok is responding to the demands of the Islamists, supported by attacks and attacks, with counter-terrorism operations and suppression of local unrest. Over 13 years of escalating conflict, more than 6,000 people have died.
Uyghur conflict
The Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR, abbreviated Chinese name for Xinjiang) is located in northwestern China. It occupies a sixth of the territory of all of China, and the majority of its inhabitants are Uighurs - a Muslim people, whose representatives are not always delighted with national policy communist leadership of the country. In Beijing, Xinjiang is perceived as a region of “three hostile forces” - terrorism, religious extremism and separatism.
The Chinese authorities have reason for this - the active terrorist group “East Turkestan Islamic Movement,” whose goal is to create an Islamic state in China, is responsible for unrest and terrorist attacks in Xinjiang: over the past 10 years, more than 1,000 people have died in the region.
A military patrol walks past a building that was damaged in an explosion in Urumqi, the largest city in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. On May 22, 2014, five suicide bombers carried out an attack that killed 31 people. Photo: Reuters Now the conflict is characterized as sluggish, but Beijing has already been threatened with an escalation of the situation after the Chinese authorities introduced a ban on wearing beards, hijabs, and performing marriage and mourning ceremonies according to religious customs instead of secular ones. In addition, Uyghurs were urged to sell alcohol and tobacco in stores and not to publicly celebrate religious holidays.
Armed conflict in the Philippines
For more than four decades in the Philippines, the conflict has continued between Manila and armed groups of Muslim separatists in the south of the country, which traditionally advocate the creation of an independent Islamic state. The situation worsened after the position of the Islamic State in the Middle East significantly weakened: many Islamists flocked to Southeast Asia. Two major factions, Abu Sayyaf and Maute, pledged allegiance to IS and captured the city of Marawi on the Philippine island of Mindanao in May. Government troops still cannot drive the militants out of the city. Also, radical Islamists stage armed attacks not only in the south, but also.
According to the latest data, from May to September this year in the Philippines, a total of 45 civilians and 136 soldiers and police were killed as a result of terrorist actions.
North and South America
Mexico
In 2016, Mexico had the second highest death toll on the list of states where armed conflict continues, behind only Syria. The nuance is that officially there is no war on Mexican territory, but for more than ten years there has been a battle between the country’s authorities and drug cartels. The latter are still fighting among themselves, and for good reason—income from drug sales in the United States alone amounts to up to $64 billion a year. And drug cartels receive about $30 billion a year from selling drugs to Europe.
A forensic expert examines the crime scene. The body of a woman was found under a bridge in the city of Ciudad Juarez, murdered with extreme cruelty. A note was found on the body: “This is what will happen to informers and those who steal from their own.” Photo: Reuters The international community calls this confrontation in Mexico an armed conflict with a high degree of intensity, and justifiably: even in the most “peaceful” year of 2014, more than 14 thousand people died, and in total, since 2006, more than 106,000 people have become victims of the “drug war”.
"Northern Triangle"
Drugs come into Mexico from South America. All transit routes pass through the three countries of the Northern Triangle in Central America: Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala.
The Northern Triangle is one of the most violent regions in the world, where powerful transnational criminal organizations have flourished, many with ties to Mexican drug transit countries; local organized crime groups; gangs like the 18th Street Gang (M-18) and the Pandillas street gangs. All these groups and clans are constantly waging war among themselves for the redistribution of spheres of influence.
Members of MS-13 captured as a result of a special operation. Photo: Reuters The governments of Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala have declared war on both organized and street crime. This decision was warmly supported in the USA, where last years due to high levels of violence and corruption, 8.5% of the population of the Northern Triangle immigrated.
The countries of the Northern Triangle are also recognized as participants in armed conflict with a high degree of intensity.
Colombia
The confrontation between the Colombian authorities and the left-wing extremist Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) lasted more than 50 years. Over these years, about 220 thousand people died, about 7 million lost their homes. In 2016, an agreement was signed between the Colombian authorities and the FARC. Rebels from the National Liberation Army of Colombia (ELN) refused to join the agreement, which, together with the problem of large-scale drug trafficking, leaves the military conflict in the country at “medium intensity” status.
Africa: Sub-Saharan
IN Somalia Lawlessness has reigned for more than 20 years: neither the government, nor UN peacekeepers, nor the military intervention of neighboring countries can stop the anarchy. The radical Islamist group Al-Shabaab is active in Somalia, and the coastal areas have begun to make money from piracy.
Injured children in a Mogadishu hospital as a result of a terrorist attack carried out by radical Islamists in the Somali capital on August 4, 2017. Photo: Reuters Radical Islamists terrorize and Nigeria. Boko Haram militants control approximately 20% of the territory in the north of the country. They are fought by the Nigerian army, which is assisted by military personnel from neighboring Cameroon, Chad and Niger.
Besides the jihadists, there is another conflict zone in the country in the Niger Delta. For more than 20 years, Nigerian government troops and mercenaries of oil companies, on the one hand, and ethnic groups of Ogoni, Igbo and Ijaw, on the other, have been trying to establish control over oil-bearing areas for more than 20 years, with varying success.
In another country, the youngest of the recognized states in the world - South Sudan , — the civil war began two years after gaining independence, in 2013, and despite the presence of a 12,000-strong UN peacekeeping force. Formally, it is between government troops and the rebels, but in essence it is between representatives of the dominant Dinka ethnic group (President Salva Kiir is one of them) and the Nuer tribe, from which Vice President Riek Machar comes.
Uneasy in Sudan. In the Darfur region in the west of the country, an interethnic conflict has been ongoing since 2003, resulting in an armed confrontation between the central government, the informal pro-government Arab Janjaweed armed groups and local rebel groups. According to various estimates, as a result of the Darfur conflict, from 200 to 400 thousand people died, 2.5 million people became refugees.
Armed conflict in Mali erupted between government forces, Tuaregs, various separatist groups and radical Islamists in early 2012. The starting point of the events was a military coup, as a result of which the then current head of state, Amadou Toure, was overthrown. To maintain order in the country, UN peacekeepers and a French contingent are present, but despite this, hostage-takings are constantly taking place in Mali.
In the eastern provinces Democratic Republic of the Congo, despite all the efforts of the authorities and peacekeepers, the situation has remained tense for many years. Various Islamist and Christian groups, armed formations of local tribes and gangs from neighboring states operate in the country. All of them are attracted by colossal reserves of rich minerals: gold, diamonds, copper, tin, tantalum, tungsten, more than half of the world's proven reserves of uranium. According to the UN Panel of Experts on the DRC, illegal gold mining “clearly remains the main source of funding for armed groups.”
IN Central African Republic (CAR) Muslim rebels overthrew a Christian president in 2013, sparking sectarian strife in the country. Since 2014, there has been a UN peacekeeping mission in the country.
2015 was a turbulent year. Even brief analysis situation is alarming, political scientists are increasingly labeling the situation as a third world war. The planet's hot spots are unhealed old wounds. At any time, conflicts can and do break out in these places, causing pain to humanity.
In Afghanistan, the war continues between government forces and the Islamist Taliban movement. The war is going on with varying success, Afghan cities and provinces periodically change hands from warring parties.
Egypt's hot spot is the Sinai Peninsula, located in the Asian part of the country. There are Islamist rebels operating there. Due to the danger of terrorist attacks, a number of countries have stopped civil aviation flights over the peninsula.
The interethnic Israeli-Palestinian conflict continues. Its sides are the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas. Israel is conducting a military operation to destroy warehouses containing Palestinian weapons, and Hamas is demanding an end to the economic blockade of the Gaza Strip and the release of prisoners. Israel carries out airstrikes on the Gaza Strip, and in response receives rocket fire on its territory.
India is reeling from the activities of the Naxalite movement - armed Maoist groups. The rebel areas surround the country in a "red belt" from Indian Ocean to the border with China. The goal of the Naxalites is to create self-governing “free zones” in India. Naxalites account for half of the terrorist attacks in India. Their targets are police officers. The Naxalites proclaim themselves to be “defenders of the poor” and fight against “landowners who exploit the labor of the peasants.” They have been declared as the most serious internal threat to India's national security. Another threat is conflicts between the government and separatists in the northeast of the country. The threat also comes from the Islamists in Kashmir.
In Indonesia, the struggle for the independence of the provinces of Papua and West Papua has intensified. The rebels are killing Indonesian soldiers, attacking military posts in mountainous areas, setting up ambushes, and shooting at security helicopters. The government brutally suppresses Papuan separatism.
After the withdrawal of foreign troops, Iraq entered a new phase of civil war. The government is opposed by IS militants. They control the territory from the Syrian city of Aleppo to the territories bordering Baghdad, and captured the city of Ramadi in Anbar province. Military hotspots are flaring up across the country.
Iraqi Kurds took advantage of the difficult situation in the country, seized large oil fields, announced a referendum and secession from Iraq.
A fourth force also appeared. A Turkish tank battalion has been sent to the Mosul area. Iraq's militia said it would take action if Türkiye did not withdraw its troops. Soon, Turkish fighters violated Iraqi airspace and launched airstrikes on Kurdish positions.
As the state of chaos in Iraq worsens, the government's conflicts with religious and ethnic groups intensify.
Yemen is rocked by three wars at once: Shiites based on interreligious strife, Islamists with the government, and in the south of the country - separatists with the government.
The situation is difficult in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China, where separatists have raised their heads. The Uyghurs, who make up the majority of the population of the autonomous region, profess Islam. Separatist sentiments are very strong in this part of China. Radical political circles demand autonomy complete separation from the People's Republic of China. They want to create an independent state of East Turkestan.
As a result of tribal and religious strife, there is a civil war in Lebanon.
Pakistan is in conflict with the tribal areas - the so-called Tribal Areas, which are controlled by the Taliban. In the self-proclaimed state of North Waziristan on the territory of Pakistan, a military operation under the code name “Zarb-e-Azb” (“Striking Strike”) continues. Pakistani fighter jets of the Pakistan Air Force carried out airstrikes on the hideouts of local terrorists.
Most hot spot the planet in 2015 became Syria, where the government led by Bashar al-Assad is opposed by the opposition and Islamists. The war affected the entire country: about 1,500 groups (al-Nusra Front, IS and others) joined the military action, more than 100 thousand citizens took up arms. The conflict in Syria continues, the death toll is increasing, the opposition is gradually radicalizing, and this is driving the situation even further into a vicious circle of violence. Most of the country is now controlled by government forces, while the north has been captured by IS militants.
At the request of the Syrian government, Russia intervened in the conflict, for which radical Islamists pose a significant threat. Missile and bomb strikes were carried out on IS positions. The landing ships "Saratov" and "Nikolai Filchenkov" proceeded to Syria. There was panic and desertion in the ranks of IS — the forced mobilization of 14-year-olds began.
The situation has become more complicated in the Philippines, where the government is opposed by three forces: separatists seeking to divide the islands, radical Islamists and Maoist rebels. The same thing happens in Southern Thailand.
The entire region is in a fever. The bone of contention between Vietnam, China, Taiwan, Malaysia, the Philippines and Brunei in the South China Sea has become the Spratly archipelago, which is claimed by all parties to the dispute.
Washington actively got involved in the disputes, sent the destroyer Lassen to the Chinese-controlled Subi and Mischief reefs, which Beijing turned into artificial islands, and illegally entered the 12-mile zone around the reefs.
A civil war continues in Colombia, in which, on the one hand, government troops are participating, and on the other, the radical left-wing Marxist rebel group FARC, which the US State Department has listed as a terrorist organization. The rebels disarmed and shot dozens of soldiers. The authorities respond to them with military operations. They are bombing strategic rebel targets.
In Mexico, the combined forces of the army and police are confronted by two opponents: separatists and drug cartels. In some regions, the population has formed militias because they do not trust the local corrupt police. The confrontation between government soldiers and bandits escalated into a war, which eventually involved the entire country. Drug cartels have become powerful and powerful. If previously they fought among themselves over the quantity of drug products, today they argue over highways, ports and coastal cities.
In April, a group of masked gunmen attacked a university campus in Garissa, Kenya, opened fire indiscriminately and took 533 students and 60 university faculty and staff hostage. Christians were chosen as victims. As a result of the terrorist attack, 148 people were killed and 79 were injured. The Somali group Harakat al-Shabab claimed responsibility for the attack. Kenyan Air Force planes bombed two bases of this group.
In November, in the capital of Mali, Bamako, armed terrorists attacked the Radisson Hotel, broke into the building and took about 170 people hostage. 19 people were killed during the attack. Supporters of the Al-Murabitoun group, associated with the terrorist organization Al-Qaeda, claimed responsibility for the attack. Six Russians, employees of the Volga-Dnepr airline, which carried out missions to transport humanitarian cargo, also became victims of jihad. The Russians were shot point-blank with machine guns. Clashes between government troops and French army with Tuareg guerrilla groups from Libya and radical Islamists. This only increases the instability and humanitarian crisis in the region. There are the largest markets for weapons, slaves, drugs on the African continent and the main shelters for dozens of terrorist organizations.
Nigeria is one of the most troubled African countries. In January, Islamist militants from the Boko Haram group captured a Nigerian army base near Baga and then began large-scale and indiscriminate massacres. More than 2,000 people died, including children and the elderly. Baga and 16 other cities and towns were destroyed and more than 30,500 people were forced to flee their homes. Many tried to cross the border to escape, but drowned in Lake Chad in the process. The series of killings is a consequence of Boko Haram gaining control over 70 percent of Borno State. The goal of the terrorists is to establish Sharia law throughout Nigeria, although Muslims do not constitute the majority in the country. Terrorists publicly execute people and take hostages every day.
In South Sudan, the Dinka and Nuer tribal alliances are in conflict. More than 10 thousand people were killed, and 700 thousand became forced refugees. The situation resulted in a large-scale military conflict. The rebels control important oil-producing areas - the backbone of the country's economy.
The military conflict in Ukraine is the second largest after the Syrian one. After the signing of the Minsk ceasefire agreement, active hostilities ceased. However, in some areas (for example, Donetsk airport), shelling and explosions continue to this day.
Vladimir Kozhevnikov, “Vayar”, [email protected]
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The most terrible periods in the history of mankind are world wars, which entailed huge losses of human lives. The last such war died down in 1945, but local armed conflicts still break out in the world, due to which certain regions turn into hot spots - places of confrontation with the use of firearms.
Iraq
- There are as many as 11 hot spots in Asia. Separatism, terrorism, civil war, interethnic and interreligious conflicts have led to the fact that a number of countries have armed conflicts on their territory. Among them:
- Iran;
- Israel;
- Palestine;
- Lebanon;
- Afghanistan;
- Pakistan;
- Sri Lanka;
- Myanmar;
- Philippines;
But the fiercest fighting is taking place in Iraq, a hotspot where terrorism is rampant. Government troops are trying to confront the notorious organization IS (formerly ISIS), which intends to create an Islamic theocratic state in the country. The terrorists have already included a number of cities in the caliphate, of which the government managed to recapture only two. The situation is complicated by the fact that at the same time, disparate Sunni groups, as well as Kurds, are operating, seizing large regions with the goal of separating from the country and creating autonomy for Iraqi Kurdistan.
IS controls not only Iraq, but also parts of Syria, which has practically liberated itself from the influence of the group, as well as small captured territories of Afghanistan, Egypt, Yemen, Libya, Nigeria, Somalia and Congo. They claim responsibility for a range of terrorist attacks, from an artillery bombing in 2007 to an attack on police and a supermarket hostage-taking in Trebe in March 2018.
In addition, militants do not hesitate to kill civilians, capture military personnel, destroy culture, human trafficking and the use of chemical weapons.
Gaza Strip
The list of hot spots in the world continues with the Middle East, where Israel, Lebanon and the Palestinian territories are located. The civilian population of the Gaza Strip is under the yoke of the terrorist organizations Hamas and Fatah, whose infrastructure the defense army is trying to destroy. This hot spot in the world has seen rocket attacks and child abductions.
The reason for this is the Arab-Israeli conflict, which involves Arab groups and the Zionist movement. It all started with the founding of Israel, which captured several regions in the Six-Day War, among them the Gaza Strip. Subsequently, the League of Arab States offered to resolve the conflict peacefully if the occupied territories were liberated, but an official response was never received.
Meanwhile, the Palestinian Islamist movement began to rule in the Gaza Strip. Military operations were regularly carried out against him, the most notorious of the latter being called “Unbreakable Rock”. It was provoked by a terrorist attack involving the kidnapping and murder of three Jewish teenagers, two of whom were 16 and one 19 years old. The terrorists responsible for this resisted arrest and were killed.
Currently, Israel is conducting operations to counter terrorists, but militants often violate the terms of the truce and do not allow humanitarian aid to be provided. The civilian population is heavily involved in the conflict.
Syria
Another one of the hottest spots in the world is Syria. Its inhabitants, along with Iran, suffer from the seizure of territories by IS militants, and at the same time, the Arab-Israeli conflict is active in it.
Syria, along with Egypt and Jordan, was at enmity with Israel immediately after its creation. “Guerrilla wars” took place, attacks were carried out on holy days, and all proposals for peace negotiations were rejected. Now there is a “ceasefire line” between the warring states, instead of an official border, and the confrontation continues to be acute.
In addition to the Arab-Israeli conflict, the situation inside the country is also turbulent. It all started with the suppression of anti-government uprisings, which developed into a civil war. About 100 thousand people participate in it as part of various groups. The armed forces are confronted by a huge number of opposition groups, of which radical Islamists are the most powerful.
In this hot spot of the world, the army currently controls most of the territory, but the northern regions are part of the caliphate founded by the terrorist organization ISIS. The Syrian President authorizes attacks on the city of Aleppo, controlled by militants. But the struggle is not only between the state and the opposition; many groups are at enmity with each other. Thus, the “Islamist Front” and Syrian Kurdistan are actively opposing the Islamic State.
East of Ukraine
The CIS countries did not escape the sad fate. The aspirations of individual territories for autonomy, interethnic conflicts, terrorist attacks, and the threat of civil war endanger the lives of civilians. Hot spots in Russia include:
- Dagestan;
- Ingushetia;
- Kabardino-Balkaria;
- North Ossetia.
The most fierce battles took place in Chechnya. The war in this republic claimed many human lives, destroyed the infrastructure of the subject, and led to brutal acts of terrorism. Fortunately, the conflict has now been resolved. Neither in Chechen Republic, no armed uprisings are occurring in other regions, so we can say that at the moment there are no hot spots in Russia. But the situation still cannot be considered stable.
Conflicts also arise in the following countries:
- Moldova;
- Azerbaijan;
- Kyrgyzstan;
- Tajikistan.
The hottest spot is considered to be the East of Ukraine. Dissatisfaction with the rule of President Yanukovych in 2010-2013 led to numerous protests. The change of power in Kyiv, the annexation of Crimea to Russia, which Ukraine perceived as occupation, and the formation of new people's republics - Donetsk and Lugansk - led to open confrontation with the use of firearms. Military operations are constantly carried out against militias. The Armed Forces, the National Guard, the Security Service, the Russian Orthodox Army, Russian volunteers and other parties are taking part in the conflict. Air defense systems and anti-aircraft missile systems are being used, ceasefire agreements are being violated, and thousands of people are dying.
From time to time, the armed forces manage to recapture individual cities from the separatists, for example, the latest success was Slavyansk, Kramatorsk, Druzhkovka, Konstantinovka.
central Asia
The geography of the world's hot spots affects a number of countries Central Asia, some of which belong to the CIS. The places of armed conflicts are Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Pakistan (South Asia). But the leader among these countries is Afghanistan, in which the Taliban regularly carries out explosions as terrorist acts. In addition, the Taliban shoot children. The reason could be anything: from a child learning English to accusing a seven-year-old boy of espionage. It is common to kill children as revenge against their uncooperative parents.
Meanwhile, Uzbekistan is bitterly contesting the territorial borders with Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan formed after the collapse of the USSR. When forming the union, the ethnic and socio-economic nuances of the territories were indeed not taken into account, but then the borders were internal, and troubles were avoided. Now disagreement with the division of territory threatens armed conflict.
Nigeria
The record holder for the number of hot spots on the planet is Africa. In addition to terrorism and separatism, it is an area of the Ethiopian-Eritrean conflict, and is also plagued by piracy, civil wars and liberation wars. This affected a number of countries, including:
- Algeria;
- Sudan;
- Eritrea;
- Somalia;
- Morocco;
- Liberia;
- Congo;
- Rwanda;
- Burundi;
- Mozambique;
- Angola.
In Nigeria, meanwhile, ethnic conflict breaks out every now and then. The Boko Haram sect is fighting to transform the state into a Muslim one, while a significant part of the population professes Christianity. The organization managed to arm itself, and it does not disdain any means to achieve its goal: terrorist actions are carried out, mass executions are carried out, people are kidnapped. Not only adherents of other religions suffer from them, but also secular-minded Muslims.
Entire regions are under the control of Boko Haram, government troops, equipped with outdated weapons, are unable to suppress the rebels, negotiations do not allow positive result. As a result, a state of emergency has been declared in some states, and the president is asking for financial assistance from other countries. Among the sect's latest high-profile crimes is the kidnapping of 2014, when 276 schoolgirls were taken hostage to be sold into slavery, most of them remain in captivity.
South Sudan
Sudan in Africa is also considered a hot spot in the world. The political crisis that arose in the country led to attempts at a military coup by the vice president belonging to the Nuer tribal union. The president announced that the uprising had been successfully suppressed, but later began to reshuffle the leadership and removed almost all representatives of the Nuer union from it. There was another uprising, followed by mass arrests by Dinka supporters of the incumbent president. The riots escalated into armed clashes. The initially stronger Dinka alliance lost control of the oil-producing areas to the rebels. The state's economy inevitably suffered from this.
As a result of the conflicts, more than 10 thousand people died, 700 thousand became refugees. The UN condemned the actions of not only the rebels, but also the government, since both sides resorted to torture, violence and brutal killings of representatives of the other tribe. To protect civilians, UN peacekeeping forces sent assistance, but the situation cannot yet be resolved. The troops of Uganda, located nearby, are on the side of the official government. The rebel leader has expressed a willingness to negotiate, but the situation is complicated by the fact that many of the rebels have escaped the control of the former vice president.
Sahel region
The people of the tropical savanna of the Sahel, unfortunately, are accustomed to starvation. Back in the 20th century, there were large-scale droughts that left the population severely short of food. But the terrible situation has repeated itself now; statistics say that 11 million people are starving in the region. Now this is due to the humanitarian crisis that has erupted in Mali. The northeastern part of the republic was captured by Islamists, who founded the self-proclaimed state of Azawad on its territory.
The president was unable to correct the situation, and a military coup was carried out in Mali. Tuaregs and radical Islamists who have joined them operate on the territory of the state. The French army is helping government troops.
Mexico
IN North America the hot spot is Mexico, where plant-based and synthetic narcotic substances not only produced, but sold and supplied to other countries in huge volumes. There are huge drug cartels with a forty-year history that began with the resale of prohibited substances and are now producing them themselves. They mainly deal in opium, heroin, cannabis, cocaine and methamphetamine. At the same time, corrupt government agencies assist them in this.
At first, conflicts arose only between warring drug cartels, but the new president of Mexico decided to correct the situation and stop illegal production. Police and army forces have been involved in the standoff, but the government has so far failed to make significant improvements.
Developed undercover government agencies cartels are well-connected, they have their people among the top leadership, they buy up the armed forces, they hire public relations agents to influence public opinion. As a result, self-defense units were formed in various states of the state that did not trust the police.
Their sphere of influence extends not only to the drug business, but also to prostitution, counterfeit products, trade in weapons and even software.
Corsica
Hot spots in Europe are represented by several countries, including Serbia, Macedonia and Spain. Corsican separatism also causes a lot of trouble. The organization, operating in the south of France, fights for independence and recognition of the political independence of the island. According to the demands of the rebels, the inhabitants should be called the people of Corsica, and not the French.
Corsica is considered a special economic zone, but has never achieved complete independence. But the rebels do not give up trying to achieve what they want and carry out active terrorist activities. Most often their victims are foreigners. The National Liberation Front is financed through smuggling, robbery, and drug trafficking. France is trying to resolve the conflict through compromises and concessions.
These 10 hot spots in the world are still a threat today. But besides them, there are many other regions where the lives of the population are in danger. For example, the constantly flaring conflict in Turkey between the capital and a military political party, dating back to 2015, and periodic terrorist attacks in Istanbul are dangerous for the indigenous population and tourists. This also includes the humanitarian disaster in Yemen, the political crisis in the Republic of Congo, and the armed conflict in Myanmar.
Short periods of calm at these points are followed by even more violent clashes. The worst thing is that in this confrontation, civilians are dying, people are losing their homes and a quiet life, and are turning into refugees. However, hopes for resolving conflicts remain, because the military forces of many countries are dedicated to this.
Territorial disputes have always existed and will always exist. Several centuries ago, such issues were resolved exclusively by the law of the strong. It is enough to flip through a history textbook to see behind the largest wars the mercantile aspirations of countries to take possession of rich or strategically important regions.
Today, conflicts of this kind can more often be resolved through diplomatic measures, since any confrontation between just a couple of strong powers is fraught with a violation of stability in the entire region. But diplomacy doesn't always work. Take a look at these tiny pieces of land: the struggle for each of them could well serve as a reason for a new world war.
China and Japan
China is also defending its interests in the East China Sea: the Senkaku Islands have become a bone of contention between eternal enemies, China and Japan. In 2010, a diplomatic standoff almost escalated into a serious military crisis - all because of a Chinese fishing trawler in the region.
North Pole
Russia, Canada, Denmark and USA
Now that the Arctic ice is melting and the Northwest Passage is open to commercial, scientific and military vessels, a number of countries have laid claim to the North Pole. Russia has planted its flag on the seabed just below the Pole, Canada is about to begin mining, and Denmark has announced that Greenland's continental shelf connects to a ridge running under the Arctic Ocean. The US Geological Survey estimates oil and gas deposits at the North Pole at 22% of the world's total reserves - and, naturally, America is also taking part in this icy confrontation.
Hans Island
Denmark and Canada
Beginning in the 1980s, the Danes and Canadians fought a passive-aggressive battle over Hans Island. The conflict escalated in 2000, when the Danish fleet landed a special forces group on the island, which promptly planted the Danish flag here. Opponents waited for a response for five whole years: the Canadian flag appeared on the highest point of the island in 2005, and the operation was carried out under the cover of military boats. At the moment, both sides are taking all measures to resolve the issue exclusively through diplomatic methods.
Jammu and Kashmir
India and Pakistan
Once ruled by the British Empire, Jammu and Kashnir are now parts of India, Pakistan and China. The disputed territory turned into a strategically important point only in 1998: Pakistan began to technologically catch up with India and both countries conducted public tests of nuclear weapons here. The political situation remains extremely unstable: there is no fear of open military conflict, but tension in the region is only growing.
Golan Heights, Gaza Strip and West Bank
Palestine, Israel and Syria
The geographic areas disputed between Israelis and Palestinians are tiny pieces of land. But in these latitudes they even cling to a meter of barren desert. Blood is shed here as usual: dozens of Palestinians and Israelis die every week. The Golan Heights, among other things, is also disputed by Syria, although at the moment it has enough internal problems.
West Sahara
Morocco and Spain
The former Spanish colony of Western Sahara in northwestern Africa is in a state of political uncertainty. Spain withdrew from the area in 1976, which Morocco immediately took advantage of, annexing about 259,000 square kilometers, quite rich in natural resources. This action was not recognized internationally, which does not prevent enterprising Moroccans from continuing to extract minerals. The most recent clash occurred in 2010, with several people killed in heavy fighting between Moroccan security forces and demonstrators.
Taiwan
Taiwan and China
Perhaps the most surprising conflict on our list. The fact is that the PRC considers itself the sole successor to the Republic of China formed in 1912. The same opinion is shared by Taiwan, which is formally an administrative unit of the PRC, which in practice has never controlled this territory. The situation is complicated by political language: both countries adhere to the position “there is only one China.” International recognition of Taiwan will mean automatic non-recognition of the PRC.
Falkland Islands
Argentina and UK
The territorial dispute between England and Argentina has lasted since the times of the Spanish Empire. The first military clash occurred on April 2, 1982: a special operation allowed Argentina to seize control of the Falklands. However, Great Britain solved the problem as quickly and simply as possible - part of the country's fleet was sent to the islands with the order to return them by force. Argentina was defeated, but continues to assert its territorial claims.
Northern Kosovo
Serbia and Republic of Kosovo
Northern Kosovo is still under UN protectorate. The region remains extremely unstable: in addition to a paramilitary garrison of peacekeepers, the government of the partially recognized Republic of Kosovo operates here. None of the parties to the conflict has a real opportunity to subjugate the disputed territory - all because of the same peacekeepers.
Paracel Islands and Spratly Islands
China, Taiwan, Vietnam, Brunei, Malaysia, Philippines and USA
Several countries are engaged in fierce disputes over the territorial ownership of a group of islands located in the South China Sea. The Paracel Islands remain the object of claims by China, Taiwan and Vietnam, and the Spartly Islands will not be divided among themselves by several ASEAN member countries: Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines and again Vietnam. At the same time, the US is seeking to protect its commercial and military interests in the area. America needs assurance that the region's routes will remain open; China, on the other hand, interprets Western pressure as illegitimate. To date, there have already been several armed conflicts involving Vietnam and Malaysia, and the situation still remains very tense.
(VOVworld) - Iraq has become a new hot spot in the Middle East. In just a few days, one third of the country’s territory was captured by militants from the group “ Islamic State Iraq and the Levant." This poses a great threat not only to the government of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki but also to neighboring countries and security in the region as a whole.
| Shiites in Iraq. Photo: Reuters |
It should be noted that a huge territory in western Iraq was taken under control by Sunni forces, which mainly include militants from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant group. In this territory there are big cities Iraq, including Mosul, the second largest city, and Tikrit, where former President Saddam Hussein was born and raised. Noteworthy is the fact that these cities are located near Baghdad, just a few hours away by car. The capture of a number of major cities is a source of powerful inspiration for militants seeking to create the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, which includes territories not only in Iraq but also in Syria.
The country is on the brink of civil war, which poses a major threat to security in the region
The world community is deeply concerned by the fact that the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant group includes formations that maintain close ties with the international terrorist organization Al-Qaeda, as well as Sunni formations that in the past were opponents of the Islamic State of Iraq group and Levant."
Moreover, not only Sunnis but also Kurds, who recently took control of the city of Kirkuk, which has great oil potential, are opposed to the government.
In such a situation, about a million Iraqis left their homeland. The USA, Australia and some other countries are calling on their citizens to leave Iraq immediately.
According to observers, main reason destabilizing the situation in Iraq is the lack of ability of Iraqi government troops to stop the advance of militants from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant group, although government troops were armed with American modern weapons. The United States believes that if the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant group takes control of other cities and provinces of Iraq, this will be fraught with dangerous consequences. The creation of a Sunni state covering both Iraqi and Syrian territory will undoubtedly have a great negative impact on the Kurdish community in Turkey, Syria and Iran who are seeking to create their own independent state.
Make a military intervention or resolve the conflict peacefully
It should also be noted that the changes taking place in Iraq are the focus of attention, first of all, by the American administration. Following President Barack Obama's statement, US Secretary of State John Kerry said on June 16 that Washington was considering the possibility of assisting the Iraqi government in curbing militant activities. In a letter to US congressmen on June 16, President Barack Obama said he would send 275 US troops to Baghdad to provide security for US embassy staff in Iraq. Along with this, the American warship Mesa Verd entered the Persian Gulf with 550 Marines on board. Earlier, the world's largest American aircraft carrier, named after George W. Bush, was sent to this area. However, as international observers note, military intervention in Iraq is not a realistic option for the United States. Sunnis in Iraq will believe that Washington is taking a biased position in resolving the sectarian conflict in Iraq.
Meanwhile, Great Britain stated that it only advocates providing humanitarian assistance to Iraq. And if necessary, it will send counter-terrorism specialists to Baghdad. And Saudi Arabia opposes outside interference in the internal affairs of Iraq. On June 15, participants in an emergency meeting of the League of Arab States unanimously noted the importance of achieving national reconciliation between political factions in Iraq.
Cause of destabilization in Iraq predicted
Earlier, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair warned that the conflict in Iraq is inextricably linked to differences between political parties within the country's current interim government. US Secretary of State John Kerry also admitted that Washington's military intervention in Iraq will produce results only if the contradictions between Iraqi leaders are resolved. The American newspaper Nation Interest in one of its latest issues does not hide the fact that Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri Al-Maliki did not make efforts that meet the interests of the Sunnis. Shiites occupy a majority in the country's army.
The war in Iraq is sectarian in nature. Stopping hostilities and violence is a difficult task facing the conflicting parties in this country.