Year-Ender 2023: From West Asia To South America, Global Conflicts That Shook The World This Year

(MENAFN- Live Mint) "The skeptics say that the world is on the brink of a third World War and while North Korea may feel excited with such evaluations, the year 2023 has been momentous when it comes to global conflicts. We entered the year with one full-blown conflict and guess what, at the end of 2023 we look back at least three major conflicts and another one in the process of exploding any minute you are thinking that this is going to be another piece around Israel killing innocent civilians or Ukraine pleading for attention, you are one hundred percent right, but trust me it is much more than just a geopolitical lesson.
Israel-Hamas war: A typical case of poking the bearThe Israel-Palestine conflict has a long history and I am sure you read a lot of pieces on how the war was long overdue etc. etc. But, still apart from minor confrontations things were smoothening between the two hostile neighbors. But, Hamas didn't like why Israel was getting attention from the larger Arab world and they decided to do something stupid- Poke the bear. The 7 October attack on Israel in which around 1,400 people were killed worked like a breather for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who was struggling for his political existence followed seems to be a campaign to turn the whole Gaza region into a graveyard. The death toll in Gaza has crossed nearly 20,000 people and out of them, around 40-50% are women and children. While no clear end to the war is visible at the current stage, the rise in the number of civilian deaths is surely increasing the pressure on Israel to move towards a truce, but trust me it still looks quite far war: The 'fatigue' factorThe year 2022 saw some intense action between Russia and Ukraine. As the winters came, the action slowed down on both fronts. Ukraine, with some 'inflated US-backed ego' made impressive gains at the beginning of the year and at one point everyone thought that either Vladimir Putin would lose or would turn to go 'all-out' with the nuclear option. But, the war again went into a dull phase where both countries secured minor victories and defeats every day war in October came as a concerning development for Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelekskyy as the focus of the world shifted to the new conflict. United States and European countries- who were backing Ukraine with financial and military support and now focusing on the rising civilian toll in Gaza. The domestic politics of Western countries is also losing patience for Ukraine's cause and a 'fatigue' factor is clearly visible: A Dissolving RegionThe conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region has a long, complex historical perspective. But, the recent skirmishes began in 2022, when the 2020 ceasefire agreement was violated and a two-day conflict led to the death of more than 100 people. Azerbaijan had a clear upper hand in the conflict and controlled most of the territory. In April 2023, Baku decided to open a checkpoint on the highway to deter military shipments from Armenia to Nagorno-Karabakh followed was an intense round of diplomatic meetings which included the United States, European Union, and Russia. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged Azerbaijan to officially recognize the internationally acknowledged territorial boundaries of Armenia and ensure the rights and safeguards of ethnic Armenians residing in Nagorno-Karabakh. Despite diplomatic efforts, the security environment remains precarious. Periodic instances of gunfire have erupted along the Armenian-Azerbaijani border during the ongoing peace negotiations, underscoring the fragile state of the talks and the potential for the two military forces to revert to hostilities, which was backed by countries like Russia and Turkey, maintained its hold over the region and it led to a humanitarian crisis in Nagorno-Karabakh as around 80% of the region's population decided to move to Armenia. The Nagorno-Karabakh administrator has signed a decree to dissolve all state institutions by 1 January 2024: The Essequibo crisisEven as the United States keeps handling conflicts in various parts of the world, the American region is not as secure as it thinks. South American security dynamics came under crisis as Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro signaled that he is considering the option to invade neighboring Guyana over the disputed Essequibo region. Apart from the historical claims of both nations, the Essequibo region holds significant oil reserves which ushered a wave of development in the poor Guyana nation Read: Venezuela-Guyana conflict over disputed Essequibo region. How it impacts IndiaThe people of Venezuela are immensely emotional about the Essequibo region, which they consider as being unfairly taken away from them. Nicolás Maduro, who is up for elections in 2024 is looking to capitalize on this emotion and held a referendum on the issue in December. The referendum raised the alarms in other South American countries as it could provide Maduro with the justification to invade Guyana armies of Guyana and Brazil remained in alert mode for more weeks as Nicolás Maduro is well-known for his desperate measures. After some deliberations, the presidents of both nations decided to avoid using force against each other but the issue remains sensitive as Nicolás Maduro warned Guyana companies to leave the disputed Essequibo region within three months.

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