Global Wars by Decade: From Somalia’s 1991 Conflict to the Gaza War (2023)
What are the major active wars worldwide since 1991 and how have they evolved by decade?
What are the major active wars worldwide since 1991 and how have they evolved by decade?
The Nature of War
War is an organized, armed, and often prolonged conflict that is carried on between states, nations, or other parties typified by extreme aggression, social disruption, and usually high mortality… War should be understood as an actual, intentional and widespread armed conflict between political communities, and it is defined as a form of political violence.
LibreTexts (Sociology)
War is nothing but a continuation of politics with the admixture of other means.
Carl von Clausewitz
Narrative Blocs and Media Focus
The Western world—the EU and NATO–focuses on certain narratives relevant to its sphere of concern. From a broader perspective, most of the world’s major blocs do so too. There are a lot. They fall into reasonably distinct categories, though, and often come in brief acronyms and initialisms.
It can be political‑economic unions [1], security alliances [2], additional trade blocs [3], religious traditions [4], or transnational ideologies [5]. Individuals seek others like them. These individuals become people groups. Those groups become blocs with a common philosophy and substantial net vectors for sociopolitical will. The West’s primary foci war-wise are Israel-Palestine and Russia-Ukraine now.
However, we can become bogged down in the details. The wider vantage point is more precise about the combat balance and indicates, by contrast, the sheer volume of international news that Western mainstream media excludes.
The wars in Ukraine and Gaza are active and the major emphases for Western media. Other contemporary and ongoing wars are the Somali Civil War, Mexican Drug War, Boko Haram Insurgency, Syrian Civil War, Mali War, Central African Republic Civil War, Yemeni Civil War, War in Burkina Faso, Anglophone Crisis in Cameroon, Insurgency in Cabo Delgado, Myanmar Civil War, M23 Rebellion in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Sudanese Civil War.
These are active. They are listed by the earliest beginning year event–1991–to the most recent. This is the current major state of the world at war. By which is meant, the major wars happening in the world, which are extant. These are presented as a chronology.
Circa 1990s: “Post–Cold War Fragmentation”
The Somali Civil War began in 1991 and continues. It followed the collapse of the Siad Barre regime. The war is between the Federal Government of Somalia, AMISOM/ATMIS peacekeepers (ATMIS replaced AMISOM in 2022) and U.S./E.U. forces against Islamists (mostly Al-Shabab). About 500,000 people have been killed in either direct combat or war-related famine and disease. Millions are internally displaced, with the newest waves in 2011 and 2016. Guerrilla warfare is common. Al-Shabab conducted attacks on Mogadishu.
Circa 2000s: “The War on Drugs and New Insurgencies”
The Mexican Drug War began in December 2006 with President Calderón deploying federal troops against cartels. The war is between the Mexican armed forces and federal police with the U.S. Mérida Initiative support against the Sinaloa, Juárez, Gulf, and other cartels. There were more than 60,000 homicides by 2012 and more than 120,000 by 2013, with 115,000 killed between 2007 and 2018. Twenty-seven thousand people are reported missing. There is sporadic internal displacement in cartel strongholds. Violence continues. Homicide rates are among the highest in the world. Cartels are fragmenting, and new groups are emerging.
The Boko Haram Insurgency began in July 2009, primarily in Nigeria-Lake Chad. The Nigerian government and regional militaries are fighting Boko Haram and a splinter ISIS-affiliated ISWAP. Tens of thousands have been killed, with UN/AID estimates at 35,000 killed. There are 2.6 million people displaced across Nigeria, Chad, Cameroon, and Niger. Boko Haram remains active, while Nigerian and regional forces remain active.
Circa 2010s: “Arab Spring, Sahel Unrest & Hybrid Wars”
The Syrian Civil War began in March 2011. It started with anti-Assad protests. Assad government was backed by Iran and Russia, who fought opposition factions of the Free Syrian Army, HTS, Kurdish Forces, and ISIS. More than 580,000 have been killed, up to 613,000 in other estimates, with ~100,000 missing. There are 7.2 million internally displaced people. 16.7 million need humanitarian support. Transitional justice forces have formed.
The Mali War began in January 2012. It began on January 16th, 2012. The Malian government and the French Barkhane (2013-22), UN MINUSMA, and Russian Wagner are fighting against the MNLA Tuareg separatists, AQIM, JNIM, and IS-Sahel. Several ten thousand have been killed, with 428 peacekeeper fatalities since MINUSMA’s inception. There are more than 333,000 internally displaced people and 118,000 refugees, with 5 million displaced regionally in the Sahel.
The Central African Republic Civil War began in December 2012. The war is between the CAR government supported by Rwandan and Russian (Wagner) contingents against the Séléka rebel coalition, Anti‑Balaka militias, and CPC rebels. Thousands have been killed. 147 UN peacekeepers have been killed. More than 10,000 children have been recruited as combatants. There are more than 1.1 million internally displaced people. 3.4 million need assistance.
The Russo-Ukrainian War began in February 2014, with the full-scale invasion on February 24th, 2022. The war is between Ukraine, with NATO and EU support primarily, and the Russian Federation, with DPR/LPR proxies. The estimated deaths are 70,935 for Ukraine and 164,885-237,221 for Russia. The total killed/wounded is estimated at 400,000 for Ukraine and 700,000 for Russia. Civilians have been 13,134 killed and 31,867 injured. There are 3.7 million internally displaced people and 6.8 million refugees abroad.
The Yemeni Civil War started in September 2014. It is between the Houthi-led Supreme Political Council with Saleh loyalists and the Presidential Leadership Council with STC southerners with backing from the Saudi-led coalition. AQAP and ISIL are active. The UN estimates are 230,000 deaths by December 2020, includes indirect deaths. There have been 19,196 civilian casualties by March 2022 and 85,000 child fatalities between 2015-18. There are about 4.8 million internally displaced people and 0.7 million refugees abroad. An uneven truce is somewhat holding circa April 2022. 18.2 million need aid, and the UN-brokered talks have stalled.
The War in Burkina Faso began in August 2015. The war is between the Burkina Faso armed forces plus Juntas/ECOWAS mediator against the AQIM, JNIM, Al-Mourabitoune, and the Ansaroul Islam. There have been more than 20,000 civilians and combatants killed since 2015. There are more than 2 million internally displaced people.
The Anglophone Crisis in Cameroon began on September 9th, 2017. The fighting is between the Cameroonian government and the Ambazonian separatists. There have been 800-1,000 combatant deaths and more than 6,000 civilian deaths by January 2023. There have been 700,000 internally displaced people and more than 63,800 refugees in Nigeria. It is currently at a stalemate.
The Insurgency in Cabo Delgado in Mozambique on October 5th, 2017. The fighting is against the Mozambican government forces, the SADC-Rwanda/South Africa contingents plus Wagner until 2019, DAG, Paramount, and FSG against the Ansar al-Sanna/IS-CAP militants. There have been 4,851 killed, including 2,078 civilians. There are 400,000 internally displaced people.
Circa 2020s: “Post‑Pandemic Coups & New Flashpoints”
The Myanmar Civil War began in February 2021. The coup escalated to a nationwide civil war. There is fighting between the military junta (SAC) against the National Unity Government’s PDF and ethnic armed organizations (KIA, AA, TNLA, and others). There have been more than 75,000 total killed (UN), with more than 6,000 civilians killed. More than 3 million people have been displaced, with over 40,000 refugees and 17.6 million needing humanitarian aid.
The M23 Rebellion in the DR Congo began in March 2022. It is a fight between FARDC (plus UN MONUSCO) against M23 rebels allied with Rwanda-backed M23 factions. Hundreds have been killed between 2022 and 2025. War crimes and abuses like rape have been committed, including executions. There are 180,000 displaced from Kibumba and more than a million displaced in North Kivu.
The Sudanese Civil War began on April 15th, 2023, between the Sudanese Armed Forces (Burhan) and the Rapid Support Forces (Hemedti). Estimated dead are thousands, and precise estimates are uncertain. There are 9.1 million internally displaced people, with 1.2 million by the end of 2023. This is the most significant internal displacement globally.
The Gaza War began on October 7th, 2023. It is between the Israel defence Forces against Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad. More than 30,000 Palestinians have been killed, with about 1,200 Israelis killed, including soldiers and civilians. About 250 hostages were taken. An estimated 1.4 million have been internally displaced in Gaza.
This snapshot of major wars and global blocs is necessarily provisional, but highlights narratives, alliances, and conflicts intertwine in the world.
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[1] The African Union, Organization of Islamic Cooperation, the Arab League, ASEAN, BRICS, G7, G20, Non‑Aligned Movement, Commonwealth of Nations, ECOWAS, EAC, COMESA, CEN‑SAD, IGAD, Union for the Mediterranean, SADC, AMU, ACP.
[2] Collective Security Treaty Organization, ANZUS, Five Eyes, Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, AUKUS, Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, Gulf Cooperation Council, and economic cartels like OPEC
[3] APEC, Mercosur, Pacific Alliance, USMCA, RCEP, CPTPP, CARICOM, Union of South American Nations, CIS, African Continental Free Trade Area, Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America, Andean Community, EAEU, EFTA, SAARC, South Asian Free Trade Area, and BIMSTEC.
[4] Roman Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, Sunni and Shia Islam, Theravada and Mahayana Buddhism.
[5] Communism/Socialism, Confucian cultural sphere, Pan‑Africanism, Pan‑Arabism.
Scott Douglas Jacobsen is a Writer and Editor for A Further Inquiry. He is the publisher of In-Sight Publishing (ISBN: 978-1-0692343) and Editor-in-Chief of In-Sight: Interviews (ISSN: 2369-6885). He writes for The Good Men Project, International Policy Digest (ISSN: 2332–9416), The Humanist (Print: ISSN 0018-7399; Online: ISSN 2163-3576), Basic Income Earth Network (UK Registered Charity 1177066), and other media. He is a member in good standing of numerous media organizations.
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