Wars of the 21st Century: A Brief Overview

The 21st century, often presented as an era of globalization and interconnection, has paradoxically witnessed a resurgence of armed conflict. If the bipolarity of the Cold War has disappeared, new fault lines have emerged, giving birth to a complex set of wars. These conflicts are often characterized by their asymmetric nature, the involvement of non-state actors and their devastating consequences on the civilian population.

Similarly, we have seen many wars fought in this century and some of them are so devastating. In this short article, I am going to share with you a list of 21st century wars, the reason behind these wars and the countries involve in them.

21st Century Wars and Reason behind them

Here is a list of wars happened in the 21st century immediate reason of their happening:

Second Congo War (1998-2003)

The second Congo war was fought between the 1998 to 2003. The reasons behind this war were ethnic strife, Rwandan genocide, toppling of Zariean President, civil war involving rebels and government.

The countries who involved in the war were Congo, Angola, Namibia, Chad, Sudan, Zimbabwe (backing the government), Burundi, Rwanda, and Uganda.

Syrian Civil War (2011-present)

Syrian Civil War was started in 2011 and still going on. The reason involves uprising against President Bashar al-Assad, Arab Spiring, militant groups like ISIL.

The countries involved in this war are Syria, Rebel groups, ISIL, Kurdish militias, the United States and Russia.

Darfur Conflict (2003-2008)

The Darfur conflict erupted in western Sudan in 2003, when rebel groups accused the government of marginalizing the region’s non-Arab population. Government counterattacks, often involving Arab militias, have led to widespread ethnic cleansing, population displacement and a humanitarian crisis. This war was started in 2003 till 2008.

These year world has seen devastating effects of this war. Immediate reason behind this war was Rebel groups’ uprising, ethnic cleansing and government-backed Janjaweed militias. The countries who participated in this war were Sudanese government, Janjaweed militias, rebel groups, joint United Nations and African Union peacekeeping forces.

Iraq War (2003-2010)

The Iraq War began in 2003 when a US-led coalition invaded Iraq with the aim of toppling Saddam Hussein, citing the threat of weapons of mass destruction. The war toppled the regime, but sparked sectarian insurgency, prolonged instability and a humanitarian crisis.

The reason behind outbreaking of this war were US invasion citing links between Iraq and al-Qaeda, presence of weapons of mass destruction, overthrow of Saddam Hussein.

The parties involved in this war were US led coalition, Iraqi government forces, Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), various insurgent groups.

Afghanistan War (2001-2021)

The Afghanistan war began in 2001 as a US-led response to the September 11 attacks aimed at driving out the Taliban for harbouring al-Qaeda. Though the Taliban were initially defeated, the insurgency continued for two decades and was marked by a complex interplay of local, regional and international forces. The US withdrew in 2011, allowing the Taliban to rapidly rise to power.

The reasons behind this war are US invasion following the September 11 attack on the Twins Tower in New York. US aim to dismantle al-Qaeda and remove the Taliban from power.

The countries who participated in this Afghan war were US led coalition, Afghan government forces, Taliban, Pakistani Taliban.

The War Against Boko Haram (2009-2016)

The Nigerian militant group Boko Haram launched an insurgency in 2009 with the aim of establishing an Islamic state. The conflict has caused widespread casualties, displacement and instability in Nigeria and neighbouring countries. Despite military efforts, Boko Haram remains a major security threat in the region.

The reason behind this war are Boko Haram’s goal to impose sharia law, Nigerian government retaliation, extrajudicial killings.

The countries involved in this war are Boko Haram, Nigerian government, military forces from Cameroon, Chad, Benin, and Niger.

Yemeni Civil War (2014-present)

Yemen’s civil war began in 2014 when Houthi rebels seized control of the capital, Sana’a. This triggered a large-scale conflict involving a Saudi-led coalition, Iran-backed Houthi forces, and various local factions. The war has caused a devastating humanitarian crisis, leaving millions displaced and at risk of famine.

The immediate cause of this war includes Uprising against President Ali Abdullah Saleh, Houthi rebels exploiting power vacuum, involvement of regional powers.

The countries who are fighting this war are Yemeni government, Houthi rebels, AQAP, Saudi-led coalition, Iran (allegedly supporting Houthis).

Russia Ukraine War (2022-present)

The Russo-Ukrainian war escalated in February 2022 when Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The conflict is rooted in geopolitical tensions over the direction of Ukraine and has triggered a massive humanitarian crisis, displacing millions and causing severe economic consequences around the world. The war continues with heavy fighting in eastern and southern Ukraine.

The reasons behind this war includes Russian annexation of Crimea, invasion of Donetsk and Luhansk, full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

The countries fighting this war are Russia, Ukraine, pro-Russian separatists in Donetsk and Luhansk.

These are the war that outbroke in the 21st century. Some of them are concluded and many of them are still going on.

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