Ten Ongoing Conflicts You’ve (Probably) Never Heard Of (I)
Every year thousands of people die in violent conflicts around the world and billions of dollars are spent by governments to fight in these conflicts. It is the role of the state to ensure the security of its citizens, which includes protection from threats from both inside and outside state (national) boundaries. You have probably heard about wars being fought in Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan in recent years, but many other countries are also in various states of violent conflict. Global Conflict Analysis presents a list of ten of these lesser-known wars:
Number 10: Communist Insurgency in the Philippines
Maoist insurgents in the Philippines. Credit: Keith Bacongco
Where – The Philippines
When – 1942 to Present
Belligerents - The Philippines government vs The Communist Party of the Philippines and the National Democratic Front
Casualties – 30,000+ civilians and military
Latest incident – The insurgents called off a truce with the government on January 2, 2013 leading observers to conclude that the rebels will launch attacks against government forces in the near future.
Number 9: Kurdish-Turkish Conflict
Where – Turkey, Iraqi Kurdistan
When – 1984 to Present
Belligerents - Turkish Government vs Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) and numerous other groups
Casualties – 45,000 – 100,000+ civilians and military
Latest incident – PKK founding member Sakine Cansiz, Fidan Dogan, and Leyla Soylemez were found shot execution-style at a Kurdish centre in Paris January 10, 2013. There are many theories about wh0 was responsible for the killings as Turkey and the PKK are involved in a complex web of international influence.
Number 8: Western Sahara Conflict
Where – Western Sahara, Morocco, Mauritania, Algeria
When – 1970 to Present
Belligerents - Moroccan Government vs Polisario Front
Casualties – 14,000 – 21,000+ civilians and military
Latest incident – A large percentage of the population lives in refugee camps and occasional violence breaks out between Polisario members and Moroccan troops.
Number 7: North Caucasus Insurgency
Where – North Caucasian Federal District, Russia
When – 2009 to Present
Belligerents - Russian Federation Government vs Caucasus Emirate and various other militant groups
Casualties – 2,100+ civilians and military
Latest incident – A gunman killed a senior judge in the capital of Russia’s Dagestan province on January 16, 2013.
The attacker opened fire on Magomed Magomedov, from Dagestan’s Supreme Court, at close range and fled the scene in Makhachkala.