IASNOVA
Topics in this article are important for Map-based questions too. Therefore atlas should be used to learn about the conflict zones and strategic locations/places in news related to current conflicts.
ISRAEL- HAMAS WAR
Historical Background
- Origins of the Conflict: The conflict between Israel and Hamas is part of the broader Israeli-Palestinian conflict that began in the early 20th century amidst national movements among Jews and Arabs in the territory then controlled by the British Empire.
- Formation of Hamas: Hamas, an acronym for Harakat al-Muqāwama al-Islāmiyya (Islamic Resistance Movement), was founded in 1987 during the First Intifada (uprising) against Israeli rule in the Palestinian territories. Hamas is considered a terrorist organization by Israel, the United States, and the European Union, among others.
Treaties and Accords
- Oslo Accords (1993): Although Hamas was not a party to the Oslo Accords, this agreement between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) was a significant event that impacted the dynamics of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Hamas opposed the Oslo Accords because it did not believe in compromising with Israel.
- Camp David Summit (2000): The failure of the Camp David Summit to reach a final-status agreement further escalated tensions, with Hamas continuing its opposition to the peace process and carrying out attacks against Israeli targets.
Previous Wars and Key Conflicts
- First Intifada (1987-1993): Hamas emerged during this period and became known for its suicide bombings and attacks against Israeli military and civilian targets.
- Second Intifada (2000-2005): Also known as the Al-Aqsa Intifada, this period saw increased violence, with Hamas conducting numerous attacks.
- 2006 Gaza Conflict: Following Hamas’s victory in the 2006 Palestinian legislative elections and the subsequent international sanctions, tensions escalated, leading to clashes between Hamas and Fatah forces in Gaza. Israel conducted operations in Gaza in response to the kidnapping of an Israeli soldier by Hamas militants.
- Gaza War (2008-2009): Also known as Operation Cast Lead, this conflict began in December 2008 when Israel launched a military campaign in Gaza to stop rocket fire into Israel by Hamas and other militant groups.
- Operation Pillar of Defense (2012): A week-long Israeli military operation in Gaza aimed at halting rocket attacks from the territory.
- Gaza War (2014): Known as Operation Protective Edge, this 50-day conflict resulted in significant casualties and damage, particularly in Gaza. It was marked by a series of ceasefire agreements that were frequently broken.
Current Conflict Escalation Between Israel and Hamas:
- Declaration of War: Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu has declared a “state of war” following a Hamas attack, promising strong retaliation.
- Operation Iron Swords: In response, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have initiated strikes against Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip under Operation ‘Iron Swords’.
- Hamas’ Justification: Hamas claims its attacks, including capturing civilians and soldiers, are in retaliation to the alleged storming of Al-Aqsa by Israeli settlers.
HAITI
- Haiti has experienced significant social and political instability, exacerbated by the 2021 assassination of President Jovenel Moïse, leading to an acute security crisis with gangs controlling over 80% of the capital, Port-au-Prince.
- The United Nations Security Council authorized a Kenya-led multinational force to support Haitian police against gang violence, although its deployment faced delays.
- Haiti’s history includes enduring corruption, political repression, and vulnerability to natural disasters, contributing to its status as the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere.
- Political instability has been a constant, with multiple coups and foreign interventions. Notable periods include the Duvalier dictatorship and the controversial UN peacekeeping mission MINUSTAH, accused of human rights abuses and introducing cholera.
- The assassination of President Moïse in 2021 intensified the country’s turmoil, with allegations of government collusion with gangs and worsening violence and humanitarian crises.
- Gangs, particularly the G9 coalition, have significant influence, often blockading vital resources like fuel, exacerbating the humanitarian situation.
- Haiti’s government and police force struggle with understaffing and corruption, contributing to the inability to control gang violence and political instability.
- Natural disasters frequently devastate Haiti, compounding its challenges. The 2010 earthquake was particularly destructive.
- Haitian migration has surged due to domestic conditions, prompting the Biden administration to extend certain immigration protections.
- Recent vigilante justice movements, such as “Bwa Kale,” have emerged due to the ineffectiveness of state institutions in combating gang violence, raising concerns about potential new threats to civilian safety.
- Jimmy Chérizie leading the infamous gang called Barbecue.
- The international community, including the US and UN, has pledged support for Haiti’s security and humanitarian needs, though concerns about potential abuses by foreign forces remain.
RUSSIA UKRAINE WAR
Historical Background
- Kievan Rus and Shared History: The roots of the Russia-Ukraine conflict lie in the complex shared history, with both nations tracing their origins back to the medieval state of Kievan Rus.
- Soviet Union Era: Ukraine became part of the Soviet Union after the Russian Revolution, enduring famines and repression, notably under Stalin.
Treaties and Accords
- Budapest Memorandum (1994): Ukraine gave up its nuclear arsenal, the third largest in the world at the time, in exchange for security assurances from Russia, the UK, and the USA.
- Minsk Agreements (2014 and 2015): Brokered to cease hostilities in the Donbas region of Eastern Ukraine, the agreements sought to reintegrate the breakaway regions under Ukrainian control with a high degree of autonomy, but were never fully implemented.
Previous Wars and Conflicts
- Orange Revolution (2004): Mass protests followed a disputed presidential election, leading to a rerun and the election of a pro-Western candidate.
- Euromaidan Protests and Revolution of Dignity (2013-2014): Protests erupted over the government’s decision to suspend the Ukraine-European Union Association Agreement in favor of closer economic ties with Russia, eventually leading to the ousting of President Yanukovych.
- Annexation of Crimea (2014): Following the unrest, Russia annexed Crimea after a controversial referendum, widely condemned by the international community.
- War in Donbas (2014): Conflict between Ukrainian government forces and separatist self-declared republics in Donetsk and Luhansk, with Russia accused of providing military support to the separatists.
Strategic Places
- Crimea: Its annexation by Russia provided strategic military advantages, including access to the Black Sea.
- Donbas Region: An industrial heartland, rich in resources, and now the center of the conflict between Ukrainian forces and Russian-backed separatists.
- Sevastopol: A key port in Crimea, hosting Russia’s Black Sea Fleet.
- Kerch Strait: The bridge built by Russia connecting Crimea to the Russian mainland symbolizes Moscow’s control and has strategic and economic importance.
Current Status of Ukraine Conflict and Western Response:
- Conflict Dynamics: The conflict has intensified with the West supplying advanced weapons to Ukraine, and Russia strengthening its positions along a 1,000-km frontline. The possibility of a direct Russia-NATO confrontation, both nuclear powers, is increasing.
- Russian Objectives: Aims to install a Moscow-friendly regime and control eastern and southern Ukraine, including key cities like Kharkiv, Donetsk, Luhansk, and Odesa. Despite initial territorial gains, Russia’s objectives remain largely unmet.
- Territorial Control: Russia’s control peaked at 22% of Ukraine in March 2022 but has since reduced to around 17%, with Ukraine reclaiming parts of Kharkiv and Kherson.
- Flashpoints: Intense fighting continues in areas like Bakhmut, Donetsk, and Zaporizhzhia.
Western Response:
- Strategy: Sanctions to weaken Russia’s economy and military aid to Ukraine.
- Major Aid Providers: The U.S. leads with over $70 billion in aid, followed by the EU ($37 billion), with significant contributions from the U.K. and Germany.
- Impact of Sanctions: While effective in disrupting Russian advances, sanctions have exacerbated a global inflation crisis, particularly affecting Europe due to its reliance on Russian energy.
- Russia’s Economic Resilience: Despite sanctions, Russia found alternative markets in Asia, increasing its oil output and export earnings. The Russian economy contracted by 2% in 2022 but is projected to grow slightly in the coming years, contrasting with slower growth or contraction in major European economies.
Yemen Civil War -Houthi Rebels
Yemen’s civil war began in 2014 when Houthi insurgents—Shiite rebels with links to Iran and a history of rising up against the Sunni government—took control of Yemen’s capital and largest city, Sana’a, demanding lower fuel prices and a new government. Following failed negotiations, the rebels seized the presidential palace in January 2015, leading President Abd Rabbu Mansour Hadi and his government to resign. Beginning in March 2015, a coalition of Gulf states led by Saudi Arabia launched a campaign of economic isolation and air strikes against the Houthi insurgents, with U.S. logistical and intelligence support.
Territorial Disputes in the South China Sea
China’s sweeping claims of sovereignty over the sea—and the sea’s estimated 11 billion barrels of untapped oil and 190 trillion cubic feet of natural gas—have antagonized competing claimants Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam. As early as the 1970s, countries began to claim islands and various zones in the South China Sea, such as the Spratly Islands, which possess rich natural resources and fishing areas.
China maintains that, under international law, foreign militaries are not able to conduct intelligence-gathering activities, such as reconnaissance flights, in its exclusive economic zone (EEZ). According to the United States, claimant countries, under UN Convention of the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), should have freedom of navigation through EEZs in the sea and are not required to notify claimants of military activities. In July 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration at The Hague issued its ruling on a claim brought against China by the Philippines under UNCLOS, ruling in favor of the Philippines on almost every count. While China is a signatory to the treaty, which established the tribunal, it refuses to accept the court’s authority.
In addition to piling sand onto existing reefs, China has constructed ports, military installations, and airstrips—particularly in the Paracel and Spratly Islands, where it has twenty and seven outposts, respectively. China has militarized Woody Island by deploying fighter jets, cruise missiles, and a radar system.
Internal conflicts in Myanmar
1.Kachin conflict
2.Karen conflict
3.Rohingya conflict
Boko Haram in Nigeria
Since 2011, Boko Haram—one of the largest Islamist militant groups in Africa—has conducted terrorist attacks on religious and political groups, local police, and the military, as well as indiscriminately attacking civilians in busy markets and villages.
As the largest African oil producer, the stability of Nigeria is important to regional security and U.S. economic interests.
Syria Civil War
In early 2011, Syrians began a peaceful uprising against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. The Assad regime cracked down with extreme violence, which escalated into civil war. Initially, the main parties in the conflict were the Assad regime versus the Free Syrian Army (FSA), the democratic opposition.
Islamist extremist groups such as Jabhat al-Nusra and the Islamic State soon entered the war, and the FSA struggled to preserve its influence.
Hezbollah, a militant Islamist party based in Lebanon, began fighting on behalf of the Assad regime, and Kurdish militias took a more active role in the conflict in an attempt to establish and protect their own territory.
SAHEL REGION
- Geography: A 3,860-km transitional belt between the Sahara Desert and sub-Saharan Africa, spanning Senegal to Eritrea.
- Countries located within the Sahel region include Senegal, Mauritania, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Nigeria, Chad, Sudan, Eritrea, and a small part of southern Algeria.
- Environment: Semi-arid, marked by barren landscapes.
- Cultural Significance: A historical and cultural intersection between Arabic, Islamic, nomadic cultures from the north, and indigenous, traditional cultures from the south.
- Challenges: Faces issues like ethno-religious tensions, political instability, poverty, natural disasters, and is a hotspot for criminal and political movements due to its vast, ungoverned spaces.
Regional Concerns:
- Mali: Continued threat from Islamist extremism, with groups like al-Mourabitoun active despite efforts to combat them.
- Mauritania: A nexus for drug and human trafficking, compounded by sub-state militant activities and governance issues, posing a risk of political violence.
- Nigeria: Persistent threat from Boko Haram, with potential for resurgence in the Lake Chad Basin despite claims of its defeat.
Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict Overview:
- Recent Development: Azerbaijan initiated a military operation in Nagorno-Karabakh, leading to casualties, amid ongoing tensions with Armenia.
- Location: Nagorno-Karabakh, or Artsakh, is in the Caucasus, internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan but mainly inhabited by ethnic Armenians.
- Historical Context: Conflict traces back to the late 1980s, peaking with a war that ended in 1994, leaving the region under Armenian control but without international recognition.
- 2020 Conflict: Azerbaijan regained significant territories during the Second Karabakh War, altering the region’s control dynamics.
- Peace Efforts: A Russia-brokered peace deal in 2020 led to the deployment of Russian peacekeepers, yet stability remains elusive with continued violations of the ceasefire.
Ethiopia’s 2023 Challenges:
- Early 2023: Began with the end of the Tigray conflict, which had caused significant casualties and displacement.
- Tigray Agreement: November 2022 peace deal in Tigray led to other conflicts, particularly in the Amhara region.
- Amhara Tensions: Amhara rebels’ unrest due to territorial disputes and perceived government negligence, with large areas ungoverned and frequent attacks on federal forces.
- Oromia Insurgency: Ongoing insurgency by Oromo nationalists, with unsuccessful peace talks, adding to the national strain.
- Ethnic and Regional Strife: Challenges in reconciling regional autonomy with national unity, amidst fraying inter-ethnic relations.
- Economic Distress: Economic challenges threaten further instability, with concerns about the alienation of the youth.
- Eritrea Relations: Strained ties with Eritrea, exacerbated by disagreements over the Tigray peace deal and territorial claims, risking potential conflict.
Iran-Pakistan Relations and Jaish al-Adl
- Recent Tensions: Strained ties between Iran and Pakistan due to Iranian strikes on Jaish al-Adl (JAA) bases in Pakistan’s Balochistan, followed by Pakistan’s retaliatory strikes in Iran.
- Jaish al-Adl: A Sunni militant group formed in 2012, primarily comprising ethnic Baluch members, seeking independence for Iran’s Sistan and Pakistan’s Baluchistan provinces.
- Background: Emerged as an offshoot of Jundullah, Jaish al-Adl aims to address grievances of the Baluch community facing discrimination in Iran and Pakistan.
- Regional Impact: The group’s activities contribute to ongoing tensions and mutual accusations between Iran and Pakistan over support for militant actions along their border.
Myanmar Civil War and Implications for India:
- Recent Developments: 1,500 Myanmarese refugees fled to Mizoram due to clashes between the Myanmar Army and pro-democracy militias in Chin State, highlighting the ongoing civil war’s impact on India.
Background of Myanmar’s Civil War:
- 2020 Elections: Aung San Suu Kyi’s NLD won, but the military (Tatmadaw) claimed fraud and staged a coup in February 2021.
- Protests: The coup led to widespread protests and a civil disobedience movement demanding democracy restoration.
- Resistance Formation: Opposition groups formed People’s Defence Forces (PDFs) aligning with the National Unity Government (NUG) against the Tatmadaw.
- Current Fighting: Escalated conflicts across Myanmar, notably in Rakhine, Kayin, Sagaing, and Chin States.
Implications for India:
- Diplomatic Balance: India maintains a cautious stance, balancing between democratic support and junta engagement for its interests.
- Refugee Influx: The conflict has prompted an influx of Myanmarese refugees into Northeast India, especially amid Manipur’s volatile situation.
- Strategic Towns Captured: Anti-junta forces seized towns near India-Myanmar border crossings, affecting Rikhawdar (near Mizoram’s Zokhawthar) and Khampat (near Manipur’s Moreh), which is crucial for the India-Myanmar-Thailand highway project.
