The most intense events in recent years occurred in the following regions of the Earth:
- Afghanistan;
- Iraq;
- Africa;
- Syria;
- Gaza Strip;
- Mexico;
- Philippines;
- Eastern Ukraine.
Afghanistan
The Afghan government, forced to spend time and energy fighting between warring factions, is unable to maintain peace in the country and the safety of its citizens after the withdrawal of NATO troops in 2014.
In 2012, relations between the United States and Afghanistan deteriorated sharply. The culmination of events was the mass execution of villagers in Kandahar province, which was carried out by an American soldier. Among the 17 victims of the massacre there were nine children.
These events led to widespread unrest and provoked a series of military actions by the Afghan military.
Experts believe that in the coming years the country's ruling elite will continue to be torn apart by acute contradictions. And the Taliban insurgency will certainly take advantage of these differences to achieve its extremist goals.
Iraq
Iraq's Shiite government has increasingly come into conflict with other ethnic and religious groups within the country. The ruling elites strive to take control of all institutions of power. This leads to a disruption of the already unstable balance between Shiite, Kurdish and Sunni groups.
Iraqi government forces are fighting the Islamic State. At one time, terrorists managed to include several cities in Iraq into their “caliphate”. Tension also persists in that part of the country where the position of the Kurds is strong, and they are not giving up attempts to create Iraqi Kurdistan.
Experts note that violence in the country is becoming more pronounced. The country is probably in for a new round civil war.
Sub-Saharan Africa
Problem areas in Africa:
- Mali;
- Kenya;
- Sudan;
- Congo;
- Somalia.
Since 2012, tensions have begun to grow in those countries of the “dark continent” located south of the Sahara. The list of “hot spots” here is headed by Mali, where the government changed as a result of a coup.
Another alarming conflict has emerged in the Sahel region of Northern Nigeria. In recent years, radical Islamists from the odious group Boko Haram have killed thousands of civilians. The country's government is trying to take tough measures, but the violence is only expanding: new forces from among the youth are joining the ranks of extremists.
For more than two decades, lawlessness has reigned in Somalia. So far, neither the legitimate government of the country nor the UN peacekeeping forces can stop these destructive processes. And even the intervention of neighboring countries did not lead to an end to the violence, the center of which was radical Islamists.
Experts believe that only a balanced and clear government policy can change the situation in this part of Africa.
Kenya
Conditions for conflict continue to exist in the country. Kenya is distinguished high level youth unemployment, appalling poverty and social inequality. Security reforms that had begun have been suspended. Experts are most concerned about the increasing ethnic disunity of the population.
The threat from militant groups that have settled in Somalia continues. The response to their attacks may be a militant reaction from the local Muslim community.
Sudan
The secession of the southern part of the country in 2011 did not resolve the so-called “Sudan problem”. A small local elite continues to accumulate wealth and strives to control power in the country. The situation in this “hot spot” is aggravated by the growing confrontation between peoples making up different ethnic groups.
The ruling party is torn apart by internal divisions. The general deterioration of the social situation and the recession in the economy lead to increased discontent among the people. The fight against the unification of large groups in the states of Blue Nile, Darfur and South Kordofan is growing. Military actions empty the state treasury. Civilian casualties have become commonplace.
According to experts, during the so-called Darfur conflict, at least 200 thousand people died, more than two million became refugees.
The government uses humanitarian aid flowing into Sudan as a bargaining tool. This turns mass hunger among ordinary people into an element of the military and political strategy of the state.
Syria
The conflict in this country remains at the top of international news. The number of victims is growing. Western media every day predict the fall of the Assad “regime”. Accusations continue to fall against him of deliberately using chemical weapons against the people of his country.
The country continues to struggle between supporters and opponents of the current government. The gradual radicalization of the opposition movement is rocking the situation, the spiral of military confrontation is beginning to unwind with renewed vigor.
The ongoing violence strengthens the Islamists' position. They manage to rally around themselves those who are disappointed by the policies of the Western powers.
Members of the world community are strenuously trying to coordinate their actions in the region and transfer the conflict to the level of a political settlement.
In eastern Syria, government troops have not conducted active combat operations for a long time. The activity of the Syrian army and its allies Russian forces moved to the western regions of the country.
The southern part of Homs province is ruled by Americans, who from time to time clash with pro-government troops. Against this background, the country's population continues to endure hardships.
Gaza Strip
The list of problem regions also includes the Middle East. It is home to Israel, the Palestinian Territories and Lebanon. The region's civilian population continues to be under the control of local terrorist organizations, the largest of which are Fatah and Hamas. From time to time, the Middle East is rocked by missile attacks and kidnappings.
The long-standing cause of the conflict is the confrontation between Israel and the Arabs. The Palestinian Islamist movement is gradually gaining strength in the Gaza Strip, against which Israel regularly conducts military operations.
Mexico
Conditions for conflict exist on the other side of the planet. IN North America Mexico remains a hot spot. Here, narcotic substances are produced and distributed on an industrial scale. There are giant drug cartels in the country, whose history goes back decades. These structures are supported by corrupt government officials. The cartels can boast of very wide connections: they have their own people in the army, police, and in the top leadership of the country
Bloody conflicts arise every now and then between warring criminal structures, in which the civilian population inevitably gets involved. Law enforcement forces and the Mexican army are involved in this ongoing confrontation, but they are unable to achieve success in the war against the drug mafia. In some states of the country, the population does not trust the police so much that they even began to create local self-defense units.
Philippines
For several decades, the conflict has continued between the country's government and armed groups of Islamic separatists who have settled in the southern Philippines. The rebels' demand is the formation of an independent Muslim state.
When the positions of the so-called “Islamic State” in the Middle East were greatly shaken, some Islamists from this region rushed to Southeast Asia, including the Philippines. Philippine government forces conduct regular operations against rebels, who, in turn, stage periodic attacks on law enforcement forces.
Eastern Ukraine
Part of the former USSR space has also turned into a “hot spot” on the planet. The cause of the protracted conflict was the desire of certain territories of Ukraine for independence. In this cauldron, which has spread to Lugansk and Donetsk, serious passions are boiling: interethnic conflicts, acts of terror, and murders of the leaders of the rebel side are mixed in with the threat of a full-scale civil war. The number of victims of the military confrontation is growing every day.
The situation in Donbass remains one of the central topics in news feeds around the world. Kyiv and the West in every possible way accuse Russia of contributing to the expansion and deepening of the conflict by helping the self-proclaimed republics of South-East Ukraine. The Russian authorities consistently deny these accusations and continue to call for a diplomatic solution to the issue.
War between people has been going on since very ancient times. I suggest learning about some hot spots over the past few years.
Eastern Congo. Since the people's militia declared war on the country's ethnic minority, the situation in the country has become very unstable. Since 1994, more than a million Congolese have fled the country as a huge insurgency has formed in the country. Several million Congolese who did not leave were killed. Later in 2003, the National Congress of People's Defense was created, headed by Laurent Nkunda. In 2009, it was captured by Rwandan troops, but the unrest in the country never stopped. The photo was taken in a rebel camp in Goma. People carry their dead relative in a coffin.
Kashmir. When Great Britain renounced its rights to India in 1947, conflicts began in Kashmir that continue to this day. As a result of the collapse, two countries emerged: Pakistan and India. The photo was taken in Srinagar when tear gas was used to disperse the crowd.
China. In the photo, Chinese soldiers look outside the city of Urumqi, Xinjiang province. Uyghurs make up 45% of the population of the Northwestern Autonomous Region. Since the 90s, the Uighurs have been demanding independence, despite the fact that the region is considered autonomous. During the next Uighur uprising in Urumqi, 150 people died.
Iran. In 2009, an uprising arose in this country, which was called the “Green Revolution”. It is considered the most significant since 1979. It appeared after the elections, when Ahmadinejad won the presidency. Immediately after the elections, millions of local residents took to the streets in support of Mousavi. Iran has always used weapons to disperse protesters.
Chad. The civil war has been going on here since 2005. Chad has become an excellent refuge for refugees from Darfur and neighboring Central African republics. The photo shows Chadian soldiers.
Eastern Chad. About 500,000 people had to flee to the deserts of Chad and remain there as refugees, creating their own camps. Due to the fact that the two countries are in conflict, a huge number of people are dying. The photo shows women from a refugee camp carrying branches for a fire.
North Korea and South Korea remain very tense. In the south of the country, the United States left about 20,000 of its soldiers, because a peace treaty has not yet been signed between these two countries, but this issue is constantly open. The North Korean leader continues to develop Pyongyang's nuclear program, even after the United States tried several times to stop it during negotiations. North Korea first tested its nuclear weapons in 2006, after which they were tested again in 2009. In the photo, soldiers from different sides stand opposite each other on the border that divides the territory into two Koreas.
Pakistan's North West Province. Since 2001, along the border with Afghanistan, Pakistan's North West Frontier Province has seen some of the heaviest fighting between Islamists and Pakistani forces. Many people believe that al-Qaeda leaders are hiding here, which is why American planes constantly fly over here. This place is recognized as the most tense, hot spot in the world. The photo shows a burnt oil tanker, with a Pakistani soldier in the foreground.
Pakistan. This country remains a key country in the American fight against terrorism to this day, despite the fact that the whole world is watching the actions of Iraq and Afghanistan. The photo was taken in the Shah Mansoor refugee camp, Swabi city.
Somalia. Located in southeast Africa. There has been no peace in this country since 1990, just since the government ceased to exist. The leader was Mohamed Siada, who was overthrown in 1992. Immediately after that, the rebels split into groups that obeyed different dictators. The United States intervened in the conflict in 1992, but withdrew its troops two years later due to Black Hawk Down. In 2006, the government of the Organization of Islamic Courts stabilized the situation in the country, but not for long. The country is ruled by rebels and only a small part is controlled by Sheikh Sharif from the Islamic Courts. The photo shows a woman cooking in a refugee camp.
In general, several dictators are trying to control Somalia.
Philippines. The conflict in this country has been going on for more than 40 years, and is therefore considered the longest war in all of Asia. In 1969, a communist rebel group formed and called itself the New People's Army. The group set itself a goal - to overthrow Ferdinand Marcos, who died in 1989. Even Norway tried to resolve the conflict, but was unsuccessful. The "New People's Army" even recruits children into its ranks; children make up about 40% of the entire army. Photo taken in Luzon.
Gaza. In 2007, after bloody fighting, Hamas gained full control of the country. After Israel tightened sanctions, Hamas groups fired rockets at their closest cities. After a large-scale operation carried out by Israel in 2008 to destroy the military potential of Hamas, a huge number of civilians suffered. The photo was taken after an air attack carried out by the Israeli military.
India. Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said the Indian Communist Party, known as the Naxalites, was "the most powerful internal force our country has ever faced." Despite the fact that the Naxalite movement was initially a small organization of peasant opposition since 1967, over time it grew into a revolutionary and national liberation movement. The organization's goal is to overthrow the Indian regime. Over the past 10 years, the movement has increased its strength fourfold, by at the moment active in 223 regions of the country. In the photo, supporters of the Communist Party of India protest against paid bus tours in Andhra Pradesh.
On September 11, 2001, American troops destroyed the Taliban and al-Qaeda forces and established a regime under the leadership of President Hamid Karzai. After 8 years, stability has not yet come to the country and this has embittered the Taliban even more. In 2009, new President Obama brought 30,000 American soldiers who joined NATO. In the photo, an Afghan family looks at the soldiers.
Nigeria. An anti-government movement called the Niger Delta emerged in 1995, immediately after the execution of human rights activist Ken Saro-Wiwa and several of his colleagues. This man spoke out against poverty and pollution of the country by oil companies. In the photo, the Niger Delta Movement celebrates its victory over Niger soldiers.
South Ossetia. South Ossetia is a Georgian province that has fallen out of control, located on the border with Russia. The South Ossetian Popular Front, created in 1988, fought for Ossetia to leave the control of Georgia and for them to cooperate with Russia. Some of the largest clashes occurred in 1991,1992, 2004, 2008. In the photo, Russian soldiers overcome mountains on the way to the South Ossetian conflict.
Central African Republic. In 2004, after a decade of instability, the country broke out into civil war. The rebels, calling themselves the Union of Democratic Forces for Unity, were the first to oppose the government of President Francois Bozize, who came to power after a coup in 2003. Although the conflict officially ended with a peace agreement on April 13, 2007, isolated incidents of violence continue. Since 2007, the European Union has maintained a contingent of peacekeepers dedicated to protecting civilians and assisting the government. In the photo, French representative Michael Sampic speaks with the head of the village of Dakhele.
Burma. The Karen are an ethnic minority who have been fighting the Burmese government to recognize them since 1949. Autonomous Okrug Kawthoolei, located on the border with Thailand. This confrontation is considered one of the most protracted internal conflicts in the world. In June 2009, Burmese troops launched an offensive against Karen rebels on the Thailand-Burma border. They managed to destroy 7 rebel camps and drive the remaining 4,000 militants deep into the jungle. The photo shows one of the soldiers with a machine gun on his shoulder from the Karen National Union.
Peru. Since 1980, the Peruvian government has been trying to destroy the Maoist guerrilla organization Shining Path. The partisans seek to overthrow what they believe is the bourgeois government in Lima and establish a “dictatorship of the proletariat.” Although the Shining Path was quite active in the 1980s, the government's arrest of the group's leader, Abimael Guzman, in 1992 dealt a significant blow to their activities. But after a ten-year lull, the Shining Path marked its return with a bomb explosion near the American embassy in Lima in March 2002, which occurred just a few days after the visit of American President George W. Bush. In the photo is Peruvian Interior Minister Luis Alva Castro.
2015 was a turbulent year. Even brief analysis situation is alarming, political scientists are increasingly labeling the situation as a third world war. The planet's hot spots are unhealed old wounds. At any time, conflicts can and do break out in these places, causing pain to humanity.
In Afghanistan, the war continues between government forces and the Islamist Taliban movement. The war is going on with varying success, Afghan cities and provinces periodically change hands from warring parties.
Hot spot Egypt - Sinai Peninsula, located in the Asian part of the country. There are Islamist rebels operating there. Due to the danger of terrorist attacks, a number of countries have stopped civil aviation flights over the peninsula.
The interethnic Israeli-Palestinian conflict continues. Its sides are the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas. Israel is conducting a military operation to destroy warehouses containing Palestinian weapons, and Hamas is demanding an end to the economic blockade of the Gaza Strip and the release of prisoners. Israel carries out airstrikes on the Gaza Strip, and in response receives rocket fire on its territory.
India is reeling from the activities of the Naxalite movement - armed Maoist groups. The rebel areas surround the country in a “red belt” from the Indian Ocean to the border with China. The goal of the Naxalites is to create self-governing “free zones” in India. Naxalites account for half of the terrorist attacks in India. Their targets are police officers. The Naxalites proclaim themselves to be “defenders of the poor” and fight against “landowners who exploit the labor of the peasants.” They have been declared the most serious internal threat to India's national security. Another threat is conflicts between the government and separatists in the northeast of the country. The threat also comes from the Islamists in Kashmir.
In Indonesia, the struggle for the independence of the provinces of Papua and West Papua has intensified. The rebels are killing Indonesian soldiers, attacking military posts in mountainous areas, setting up ambushes, and shooting at security helicopters. The government brutally suppresses Papuan separatism.
After the withdrawal of foreign troops, Iraq entered a new phase of civil war. The government is opposed by IS militants. They control the territory from the Syrian city of Aleppo to the territories bordering Baghdad, and captured the city of Ramadi in Anbar province. Military hotspots are flaring up across the country.
Iraqi Kurds took advantage of the difficult situation in the country, seized large oil fields, announced a referendum and secession from Iraq.
A fourth force also appeared. A Turkish tank battalion has been sent to the Mosul area. Iraq's militia said it would take action if Türkiye did not withdraw its troops. Soon Turkish fighters violated airspace Iraq and carried out airstrikes on Kurdish positions.
As the state of chaos in Iraq worsens, the government's conflicts with religious and ethnic groups intensify.
Yemen is rocked by three wars at once: Shiites based on interreligious strife, Islamists with the government, and in the south of the country - separatists with the government.
The situation is difficult in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China, where separatists have raised their heads. The Uyghurs, who make up the majority of the population of the autonomous region, profess Islam. Separatist sentiments are very strong in this part of China. Radical political circles of the autonomy demand complete separation from the People's Republic of China. They want to create an independent state of East Turkestan.
As a result of tribal and religious strife, there is a civil war in Lebanon.
Pakistan is in conflict with the tribal areas - the so-called Tribal Areas, which are controlled by the Taliban. In the self-proclaimed state of North Waziristan on the territory of Pakistan, a military operation under the code name “Zarb-e-Azb” (“Striking Strike”) continues. Pakistani fighter jets of the Pakistan Air Force carried out airstrikes on the hideouts of local terrorists.
The hottest spot on the planet in 2015 was Syria, where the government led by Bashar al-Assad is opposed by the opposition and Islamists. The war affected the entire country: about 1,500 groups (al-Nusra Front, IS and others) joined the military action, more than 100 thousand citizens took up arms. The conflict in Syria continues, the death toll is increasing, the opposition is gradually radicalizing, and this is driving the situation even further into a vicious circle of violence. Most of the country is now controlled by government forces, while the north has been captured by IS militants.
At the request of the Syrian government, Russia intervened in the conflict, for which radical Islamists pose a significant threat. Missile and bomb strikes were carried out on IS positions. The landing ships "Saratov" and "Nikolai Filchenkov" proceeded to Syria. There was panic and desertion in the ranks of IS — the forced mobilization of 14-year-olds began.
The situation has become more complicated in the Philippines, where the government is opposed by three forces: separatists seeking to divide the islands, radical Islamists and Maoist rebels. The same thing happens in Southern Thailand.
The entire region is in a fever. The bone of contention between Vietnam, China, Taiwan, Malaysia, the Philippines and Brunei in the South China Sea has become the Spratly archipelago, which is claimed by all parties to the dispute.
Washington actively joined the disputes, sent the destroyer Lassen to the Chinese-controlled Subi and Mischief reefs, which Beijing turned into artificial islands, and illegally entered the 12-mile zone around the reefs.
A civil war continues in Colombia, in which, on the one hand, government troops are participating, and on the other, the left-wing radical Marxist rebel group FARC, which the US State Department has listed as a terrorist organization. The rebels disarmed and shot dozens of soldiers. The authorities respond to them with military operations. They are bombing strategic rebel targets.
In Mexico, the combined forces of the army and police are confronted by two opponents: separatists and drug cartels. In some regions, the population has formed militias because they do not trust the local corrupt police. The confrontation between government soldiers and bandits escalated into a war, which eventually involved the entire country. Drug cartels have become powerful and powerful. If previously they fought among themselves over the quantity of drug products, today they argue over highways, ports and coastal cities.
In April, a group of masked gunmen attacked a university campus in Garissa, Kenya, opened fire indiscriminately and took 533 students and 60 university faculty and staff hostage. Christians were chosen as victims. As a result of the terrorist attack, 148 people were killed and 79 were injured. The Somali group Harakat al-Shabab claimed responsibility for the attack. Kenyan Air Force planes bombed two bases of this group.
In November, in the capital of Mali, Bamako, armed terrorists attacked the Radisson Hotel, broke into the building and took about 170 people hostage. 19 people were killed during the attack. Supporters of the Al-Murabitoun group, associated with the terrorist organization Al-Qaeda, claimed responsibility for the attack. Six Russians, employees of the Volga-Dnepr airline, which carried out missions to transport humanitarian cargo, also became victims of jihad. The Russians were shot point-blank with machine guns. Clashes between government troops and the French army with Tuareg guerrilla groups from Libya and radical Islamists continue in the country. This only increases the instability and humanitarian crisis in the region. There are the largest markets for weapons, slaves, drugs on the African continent and the main shelters for dozens of terrorist organizations.
Nigeria is one of the most troubled African countries. In January, armed Islamist groups from the Boko Haram group captured a Nigerian army base near Baga and then began large-scale and indiscriminate massacres. More than 2,000 people died, including children and the elderly. Baga and 16 other cities and towns were destroyed and more than 30,500 people were forced to flee their homes. Many tried to cross the border to escape, but drowned in Lake Chad in the process. The series of killings is a consequence of Boko Haram gaining control over 70 percent of Borno State. The goal of the terrorists is to establish Sharia law throughout Nigeria, although Muslims do not constitute the majority in the country. Terrorists publicly execute people and take hostages every day.
In South Sudan, the Dinka and Nuer tribal alliances are in conflict. More than 10 thousand people were killed, and 700 thousand became forced refugees. The situation resulted in a large-scale military conflict. The rebels control important oil-producing areas - the backbone of the country's economy.
The military conflict in Ukraine is the second largest after the Syrian one. After the signing of the Minsk ceasefire agreement, active hostilities ceased. However, in some areas (for example, Donetsk airport), shelling and explosions continue to this day.
Vladimir Kozhevnikov, “Vayar”, [email protected]
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Issue No. 23
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From bloody civil war in Africa to unrest in Southeast Asia, there are currently 33 hotspots in the world where local populations are suffering the most.
(Total 33 photos)
The situation in Eastern Congo has been quite unstable since the Hutu militia (Interahamwe) declared war on the country's ethnic minority, the Tutsi people. Since 1994, this has been . Since then, the region has become home to a huge number of rebels, forcing more than a million Congolese to flee the country and killing several million. In 2003, the leader of the Tutsi rebellion, Laurent Nkunda, continued the battle with the Hutus (Interahamwe) and created the National Congress of People's Defense. In January 2009, Nkunda was captured by Rwandan troops. But even despite the loss of their leader, individual groups of Tutsi rebels are still causing unrest. The photo shows family members carrying the body of their relative for burial. Rebel camp in Goma, January 19, 2009.
Conflicts in Kashmir have been ongoing since 1947, when Britain renounced its rights to India. As a result of the collapse, two countries were formed: Pakistan and India. The conflict is related to the division of disputed territories, and clashes still occur quite often on the border of these states, as well as in Kashmir itself, which belongs to India. For example, the unrest that broke out after the death of two unarmed Muslim teenagers. Pictured here are Kashmiri Muslims throwing canisters of tear gas, as well as rocks and lighters, back at police officers. It was this tear gas that was used to disperse a crowd of protesters in Srinagar on February 5, 2010.
A Uighur woman peers through security barriers as Chinese soldiers watch in the city of Urumqi, Xinjiang province, July 9, 2009. The Northwest Autonomous Region is home to 13 ethnic groups - the largest of which, at 45% of the population, are Uighurs. Despite the fact that the region is considered autonomous, some Uyghur representatives have been demanding recognition of full independence since the mid-90s. China's attempts to unify with this area only cause inter-ethnic tensions, coupled with religious repression and economic inequality, all of which only worsen the situation. When another outbreak broke out, the authorities responded immediately. As a result, 150 people died.
Protesting the results in 2009, millions of Iranians took to the streets to support opposition candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi. In their opinion, it was he who should have won the elections, but the results were falsified. This uprising was given the name "Green Revolution" and is considered one of the most significant events in Iranian politics since 1979. “Color revolutions” also took place in other countries: Georgia, Ukraine and Serbia. The Iranian regime has never renounced the use of weapons to disperse protesters. In the photo, one of the rebels covers his face with his hand, wearing a symbolic green bandage, on December 27, 2009, after a clash with the Basij militia forces, reinforced by internal security fighters who joined them.
The civil war here has been going on for five years now, with anti-government uprisings supported by neighboring Sudan. Chad has become a good refuge not only for thousands of refugees from Darfur, but also for those. Who fled from the neighboring republics of Central Africa. Pictured are Chadian soldiers resting after the Battle of Am Dam, which lasted two days in May 2009. As a result, Chadian troops managed to prevent the capture of the capital N'Djamena and the overthrow of power.
Over the past 5 years, fighting in eastern Chad and neighboring Darfur has forced more than 400,000 people to flee into the Chadian desert and form refugee camps there. Rebels from the two countries take turns expressing dissatisfaction with each other. And caught in the crossfire are civilians, tired of senseless violence, scorched earth tactics and ethnic cleansing. Sudanese women carry branches for a fire in a refugee camp in Chad June 26, 2008.
More than half a century after the end of the Korean War, relations between the two remain tense. So far, no peace agreement has been signed between the two countries, and the US is leaving 20,000 of its troops in the south of the country. When it will be signed and whether it will be signed at all, these questions and answers still remain open. North Korean leader Kim Jong Il, who succeeded his father Kim Il Sung in 1994, continues to develop Pyongyang's nuclear program, despite the fact that the United States has repeatedly tried to reduce it during negotiations. first tested a nuclear device in 2006, the second attempt occurred in May 2009. In the photo, a North Korean army soldier stands opposite a South Korean army soldier on the border that divides the territory into two Koreas, February 19, 2009.
Pakistan's North West Frontier Province and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas are two of the most tense flashpoints in the world. Located along the border with Afghanistan, these two regions have seen some of the heaviest fighting between Islamists and Pakistani forces since 2001. It is believed that this is where al-Qaeda leaders take refuge. American planes constantly patrol the skies over these territories in search of terrorists and Taliban leaders. The photo shows a Pakistani soldier in front of a burnt oil tanker that was burned by rebels on February 1, 2010.
While the situation in Iraq and Afghanistan worries the entire world community, Pakistan remains a key country in the American fight against terrorism. Under increased pressure from the US, Islamabad has more recently stepped up efforts to remove the Taliban from its borders. While Pakistani troops are enjoying some successes against the Taliban, some instability is emerging among the civilian population. Pictured June 21, 2009, Pakistani refugees at Shah Mansoor camp, Swabi, Pakistan.
This country, located in southeast Africa, has existed without a central government since the 1990s and has not lived peacefully for the same period. After the overthrow of the country's leader Mohamed Siad Barre in January 1992, the rebels split into several rival groups led by different dictators. The United States intervened in the conflict in 1992 with Operation Restore Hope, but in 1994 it withdrew its troops from the country several months after Black Hawk Down. The government of the Organization of Islamic Courts managed to somewhat stabilize the situation in 2006, but this rule did not last long. Fearing the spread of Islamism, the Transitional Federal Government was created in 2007. Most of the country is now under rebel control, while the Transitional Federal Government and President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, the former leader of the Organization of Islamic Courts, control only certain areas. Since 1991, hundreds of thousands of civilians have been killed and more than 1.5 million have become refugees. Pictured are Somali women preparing food in a refugee camp near Mogadishu, November 19, 2007.
Despite the fact that Mexico is now a developing country with a predominantly middle-class population, it has long struggled with drug smuggling and violence. The surge in drug-related deaths has many observers concerned about the future of this country. The number of drug-related deaths since January 2007 has reached 10,000, more than the number of American soldiers. Deaths in Iraq and Afghanistan. Despite efforts by Mexican President Felipe Calderon to crack down on drug traffickers, border cities like Tijuana and Ciudad Juarez, which serve as major drug routes, have become hotbeds of violence. The picture shows one of the drug distribution centers of Ciudad Juarez, where 18 people were killed and 5 were injured as a result of a clash between drug traffickers, August 2, 2009.
Indonesia's two easternmost provinces, Papua and West Papua, have been fighting an insurgency to secede since the early 1960s. With the support of the United States, an agreement was signed in 1961 that the Netherlands would cede provinces to Indonesia, but this happened without the consent of the provinces themselves. Today, a low-intensity conflict continues between rebels armed with bows and arrows and Indonesian troops. Papua Free Movement leader Kelly Kwalia was killed last year during a shootout with the Indonesian military. Pictured here are members of the Papua Free Movement speaking to the press on July 21, 2009, denying allegations that they were involved in the 2002 mine attacks.
On December 13, 2003, nine months into the American invasion of Iraq, soldiers captured ousted Iraqi President Saddam Hussein at a compound near Tikrit during Operation Red Dawn. This success was preceded by three years of civil war and chaos, during which American troops were brutally attacked by Iraqi insurgents. Although the US managed to turn the tide of the war in 2007, Iraq continued to suffer from violence and political instability. Pictured is one of the 50,000 American soldiers who remained in control of the situation in Iraq, October 25, 2009.
Since June 2004, the Yemeni government has been in conflict with the Shia resistance "Houthis", named after the deceased leader Hussein Badreddin al-Houthi. Some analysts consider the war to be a covert war between Saudi Arabia and Iran. Saudi Arabia, the center of Sunni power in the region, is clashing with the Yemeni government and even carrying out air strikes and attacks in border areas, while Iran, the center of Shiite power, supports the rebels. Although the Yemeni government and Houthis signed a ceasefire agreement in February 2010, it is too early to say whether this agreement will be respected. Pictured is a group of Houthis rebels driving through the Malahidh region of Yemen, near the border with Saudi Arabia, February 17, 2010.
Uzbekistan was in a long conflict with Islamists who were trying to strengthen the Muslim population. In particular, the instability of the Uzbek authorities convinced the terrorists that they would be able to establish contact with the authorities. As recently as 2005, members of Uzbekistan's Ministry of Internal Affairs and security forces opened fire on a crowd of Muslim protesters in Andijan. The number of people killed ranged from 187 people (according to official figures) to 1,500 (this figure appears in the report of a former Uzbek intelligence officer). The photo shows the Uzbek embassy in London, May 17, 2005, painted with red inscriptions - the consequences of the massacre in Andijan.
Over the past 22 years, fanatical guerrilla Joseph Kony has led the Lord's Resistance Army through the north of the country into the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Sudan. The movement initially sought to overthrow the Ugandan government and establish a Christian theocracy. Nowadays it has descended to robbery and looting. The rebels are known for turning children into slaves and warriors; The rebel army now numbers 3,000. Ceasefire between Uganda and the Lord's Resistance Army in 2006-2008. was discussed in Juba, Sudan, but all hopes of peaceful coexistence were dashed after Kony reneged on the agreement in April 2008. The photo shows a woman and her children in front of their destroyed hut in Uganda, September 24, 2007.
The Thai government has long had strained relations with the country's Muslim population, the majority of whom lived in the southern province of Pattani. Tensions peaked in 2004 when Islamists rebelled in Pattani, sparking a full-blown separatist uprising. Bangkok demanded that the situation in the troubled region be immediately stabilized. Meanwhile, the death toll continued to rise, with more than 3,000 civilians killed as of March 2008. Pictured here are Thai soldiers examining the body of a suspected insurgent who was killed in a firefight on February 15, 2010.
The Ogaden Liberation Front is a group of ethnic Somalis from Ethiopia that has been fighting for the independence of the Ogaden since 1984. This independence, in their opinion, should inevitably lead to unification with Somalia. Having failed to achieve this result, Ethiopia cracked down on the Ogaden. Some believe that the 2006 invasion of Somalia was a pre-emptive maneuver to dissuade the Somali Islamist government from going to war over Somalia even more stubbornly. The picture shows a boy tending cattle in a rural nomadic area, January 17, 2008.
Hard
There are currently 33 hotspots in the world where local populations suffer the most.
Eastern Congo:
The situation in Eastern Congo has been quite unstable since the Hutu militia (Interahamwe) declared war on the country's ethnic minority, the Tutsi people. Since 1994, this confrontation has led to genocide. Since then, the region has become home to a huge number of rebels, forcing more than a million Congolese to flee the country and killing several million. In 2003, the leader of the Tutsi rebellion, Laurent Nkunda, continued the battle with the Hutus (Interahamwe) and created the National Congress of People's Defense. In January 2009, Nkunda was captured by Rwandan troops. But even despite the loss of their leader, individual groups of Tutsi rebels are still causing unrest. The photo shows family members carrying the body of their relative for burial. Rebel camp in Goma, January 19, 2009.
Kashmir:
Conflicts in Kashmir have been ongoing since 1947, when Britain renounced its rights to India. As a result of the collapse, two countries were formed: Pakistan and India. The conflict is related to the division of disputed territories, and clashes still occur quite often on the border of these states, as well as in Kashmir itself, which belongs to India. For example, the unrest that broke out after the death of two unarmed Muslim teenagers. The picture shows Kashmiri Muslims throwing tear gas canisters back at the police. It was this tear gas that was used to disperse a crowd of protesters in Srinagar, February 5, 2010.
China:
A Uighur woman peers through security barriers as Chinese soldiers watch in the city of Urumqi, Xinjiang province, July 9, 2009. The Northwest Autonomous Region is home to 13 ethnic groups - the largest of which, at 45% of the population, are Uighurs. Despite the fact that the region is considered autonomous, some Uyghur representatives have been demanding recognition of full independence since the mid-90s. China's attempts to unify with this area only cause inter-ethnic tensions, coupled with religious repression and economic inequality, all of which only worsen the situation. When another Uyghur uprising broke out in Urumqi, the authorities responded immediately. As a result, 150 people died.
Iran:
Protesting the presidential election results won by Ahmadinejad in 2009, millions of Iranians took to the streets to support opposition candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi. In their opinion, it was he who should have won the elections, but the results were falsified. This uprising was given the name "Green Revolution" and is considered one of the most significant events in Iranian politics since 1979. “Color revolutions” also took place in other countries: Georgia, Ukraine and Serbia. The Iranian regime has never renounced the use of weapons to disperse protesters. In the photo, one of the rebels covers his face with his hand, wearing a symbolic green bandage, on December 27, 2009, after a clash with the Basij militia forces, reinforced by internal security fighters who joined them.
Chad:
The civil war here has been going on for five years now, with anti-government uprisings supported by neighboring Sudan. Chad has become a good refuge not only for thousands of refugees from Darfur, but also for those. Who fled from the neighboring republics of Central Africa. Pictured are Chadian soldiers resting after the Battle of Am Dam, which lasted two days in May 2009. As a result, Chadian troops managed to prevent the capture of the capital N'Djamena and the overthrow of power.
Eastern Chad:
Over the past 5 years, fighting in eastern Chad and neighboring Darfur, Sudan, has forced more than 400,000 people to flee into the Chadian desert and form refugee camps there. Rebels from the two countries take turns expressing dissatisfaction with each other. And caught in the crossfire are civilians, tired of senseless violence, scorched earth tactics and ethnic cleansing. Sudanese women carry branches for a fire in a refugee camp in Chad June 26, 2008.
Korea:
More than half a century after the end of the Korean War, relations between communist North Korea and democratic South Korea remain tense. So far, no peace agreement has been signed between the two countries, and the US is leaving 20,000 of its troops in the south of the country. North Korean leader Kim Jong Il, who succeeded his father Kim Il Sung in 1994, continues to develop Pyongyang's nuclear program, despite the fact that the United States has repeatedly tried to reduce it during negotiations. North Korea first tested a nuclear device in 2006, with a second attempt occurring in May 2009. In the photo, a North Korean army soldier stands opposite a South Korean army soldier on the border that divides the territory into two Koreas, February 19, 2009.
Pakistani North West:
Pakistan's North West Frontier Province and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas are two of the most tense flashpoints in the world. Located along the border with Afghanistan, these two regions have seen some of the heaviest fighting between Islamists and Pakistani forces since 2001. It is believed that this is where al-Qaeda leaders take refuge. American planes constantly patrol the skies over these territories in search of terrorists and Taliban leaders. The photo shows a Pakistani soldier in front of a burnt oil tanker that was burned by rebels on February 1, 2010.
Pakistan:
While the situation in Iraq and Afghanistan worries the entire world community, Pakistan remains a key country in the American fight against terrorism. Under increased pressure from the US, Islamabad has more recently stepped up efforts to remove the Taliban from its borders. While Pakistani troops are enjoying some successes against the Taliban, some instability is emerging among the civilian population. Pictured June 21, 2009, Pakistani refugees at Shah Mansoor camp, Swabi, Pakistan.
Somalia:
This country, located in southeast Africa, has existed without a central government since the 1990s and has not lived peacefully for the same period. After the overthrow of the country's leader Mohamed Siad Barre in January 1992, the rebels split into several rival groups led by different dictators. The United States intervened in the conflict in 1992 with Operation Restore Hope, but in 1994 it withdrew its troops from the country several months after Black Hawk Down. The government of the Organization of Islamic Courts managed to somewhat stabilize the situation in 2006, but this rule did not last long. Fearing the spread of Islamism, the Transitional Federal Government was created in 2007. Most of the country is now under rebel control, while the Transitional Federal Government and President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, the former leader of the Organization of Islamic Courts, control only certain areas. Since 1991, hundreds of thousands of civilians have been killed and more than 1.5 million have become refugees. Pictured are Somali women preparing food in a refugee camp near Mogadishu, November 19, 2007.
Somalia:
Somalia is a failed state that several leaders are trying to control. A weak government resides in Mogadishu, while several powerful dictators control the country's territory. Sharia courts provide some semblance of order while radical Islamist organizations, the most powerful of which is al-Shabab, continue to seize land. In 2009, the conflict narrowed to a standoff between the central government and al-Shabab. Recently, al-Shabab publicly stated that it would follow the international jihad movement led by al-Qaida. A photo of a soldier next to the body of a rebel killed during an al-Shabab attack on government positions, December 1, 2009.
Philippines:
The Philippines is home to a 40-year conflict, the longest war in Asia. During this conflict, 40,000 people died. The confrontation began in 1969 with the formation of a communist rebel group called the New People's Army. The rebels' goal was to overthrow the regime of Ferdinand Marcos. Despite Marcos' death in 1989, attempts by international observers to resolve the conflict have failed, including a 20-year effort by Norway that collapsed in 2004. The New People's Army is known for its guerrilla warfare and for recruiting children into its ranks. It is children, according to some estimates, who make up about 40% of the rebel army. Pictured are Philippine Army soldiers at an observation tower, Luzon, October 17, 2006.
Gaza:
After controversial parliamentary elections and bloody battles against the Palestinian Authority, Hamas gained full control of the country in 2007. As Israel tightened sanctions, Hamas and other groups responded with strikes homemade missiles"Box offices" in nearby Israeli cities. In December 2008, Israel carried out a large-scale operation to destroy Hamas' military capabilities. Neither side emerged from this war unsullied; Hamas is accused of using so-called "human shields", while Israel uses white phosphorus, which kills civilians. In the photo, a Palestinian collects his belongings from the rubble of his home, destroyed by an Israeli air attack, January 5, 2009.
India:
According to Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, the Communist Party of India (Maoist), known as the Naxalites, is “the most powerful internal force our country has ever faced.” Despite the fact that the Naxalite movement was initially a small organization of peasant opposition since 1967, over time it grew into a revolutionary and national liberation movement. The goal of this organization is to overthrow the Indian regime and the Maoist government. Over the past 10 years, the movement has quadrupled its strength and is currently active in 223 districts of the country. In the photo, supporters of the Communist Party of India protest against paid bus tours in Andhra Pradesh, January 7, 2010.
Afghanistan:
Just a few months after the US terrorist attack on September 11, 2001, American troops destroyed the Taliban and al-Qaeda forces and established a regime under the leadership of President Hamid Karzai. 8 years later, elections did not bring stability and the Taliban's actions became harsher again. In December 2009, US President Barrack Obama committed 30,000 troops to join NATO forces in Afghanistan. As a result, the peacekeeping force in Afghanistan reached 150,000 people. In the photo, an Afghan family watches US Marines, February 16, 2010.
Nigeria:
The anti-government Niger Delta Movement emerged after human rights activist Ken Saro-Wiwa and several of his colleagues were executed by the country's military regime in 1995. Ken Saro-Wiwa campaigned against poverty as well as pollution in the country after oil companies began their exploration. Today, the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta, founded in 2003, is responsible for the country's oil wealth, as well as the elimination of pollution. Photo taken in September 2008 shows members of the Niger Delta Emancipation Movement celebrating their victory over Nigerian government forces. On January 30, 2010, the Niger Delta Movement violated the unilateral ceasefire agreement that had been adopted in October. This disruption has led to renewed fears of kidnappings and attacks on oil companies.
South Ossetia:
South Ossetia is an out-of-control Georgian province located on the border with Russia. In 1988, the South Ossetian Popular Front (Adamon Nyhas) was formed, which fought for secession from Georgia and unification with Russia. Since then, military confrontation has become constant. The largest clashes occurred in 1991, 1992 and 2004. And the most recent one occurred in 2008, when Russia supported the troops of South Ossetia. South Ossetia is now believed to be under Russian control, but tensions remain high. In the picture Russian troops overcome mountains on the way to the South Ossetian conflict, August 9, 2008.
Nepal:
Even though a 2006 peace deal ended a 10-year civil war between the Maoists and the central government, Nepal has struggled to maintain a semblance of stability even as the two ruling parties have been endlessly at loggerheads. The last outbreak of clashes was observed in Kathmandu in May 2009. Then Nepal Communist Party (Maoist) leader Prachanda resigned after President Ram Baran Yadav criticized the Prime Minister's decision to dismiss General Rukmagad Katawala. Pictured is a Nepali student activist supporting the Nepali Congress protest against Katawala's dismissal, May 3, 2009.
Central African Republic:
In 2004, after a decade of instability, the country broke out into civil war. The rebels, calling themselves the Union of Democratic Forces for Unity, were the first to oppose the government of President Francois Bozizé, who took power after a coup in 2003. Although the conflict officially ended with a peace agreement on April 13, 2007, isolated incidents of violence continue. Since 2007, the European Union has maintained a contingent of peacekeepers dedicated to protecting civilians and assisting the government. Pictured here is French representative Michael Sampic talking to Abdel Karim Yacoub, a village chief in Dakhel, Central African Republic, February 12, 2009.
Burma:
The Karen, an ethnic minority, have been fighting the Burmese government since 1949 to recognize the autonomous region of Kawthoolei, which borders Thailand. This confrontation is considered one of the most protracted internal conflicts in the world. In June 2009, Burmese troops launched an offensive against Karen rebels on the Thailand-Burma border. They managed to destroy 7 rebel camps and drive the remaining 4,000 militants deep into the jungle. Pictured is a Karen National Unity soldier armed with a machine gun during celebrations of the 57th anniversary of the confrontation, January 31, 2006.
Colombia:
Since 1964, Colombia has been in a state of protracted, low-intensity civil strife. This feud involves both the country's authorities and paramilitary organizations, drug syndicates and guerrillas, for example, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia and the National Liberation Army. During the conflict, hostage-taking, drug smuggling, and terrorist attacks on civilians became a common part of life in Colombia. The photo shows a Colombian drug enforcement officer holding one of the 757 bundles of dynamite that were found in Medellin on November 3, 2009, in one of the weapons and ammunition caches.
Peru:
Since 1980, the Peruvian government has been trying to destroy the Maoist guerrilla organization Shining Path. The partisans seek to overthrow what they consider to be the “bourgeois” government in Lima and establish a “dictatorship of the proletariat.” Although the Shining Path was quite active in the 1980s, the government's arrest of the group's leader, Abimael Guzman, in 1992 dealt a significant blow to their activities. But after a ten-year lull, the Shining Path marked its return with a bomb explosion near the American embassy in Lima in March 2002, which occurred just a few days after the visit of American President George W. Bush. In the photo, Peruvian Interior Minister Luis Alva Castro carefully checks the condition of weapons and uniforms seized after a clash between police and Shining Path militants in Tingo Maria on November 27, 2007.
Northern Ireland:
In 1969, a secret armed force of Sinn Fein (Irish's oldest party, founded in 1905), called the Provisional Irish Republican Army, launched a brutal operation to drive British troops out of Northern Ireland, who were hoping for unification with the rest of Ireland. The conflict escalated in 1972 when Westminster announced direct rule in Ulster. More than 3,500 people were killed between 1969 and 1998, a period that became known as the “Trouble” and ended in 1998 with the “Good Friday” political settlement agreement in Northern Ireland. Rare echoes of political unrest can still be heard, as evidenced by the burned car in the photo, March 2009.
Darfur, Sudan:
Thanks to American attempts to prevent a war that many believe led to genocide, the Darfur conflict is becoming one of the world's most well-known conflicts. The reasons for the clashes are geographical: Sudan's power and resources are located in their northern capital Khartoum, while other regions are considered less important. In the early 2000s, rebels in western Darfur protested against such inequality. Darfur responded powerfully, arming the nomadic Arab "Janjaweed" militias, who looted and destroyed everything along the way to Darfur, killing an estimated 300,000 Darfuris. Now the situation has returned to normal, and UN peacekeepers have stationed their contingent there. But to this day, more than 400,000 Sudanese refugees remain in shelter camps abroad. The other 1.2 million people scattered throughout Sudan. Pictured are Sudanese refugees and peacekeepers in Chad, March 12, 2009.
South Sudan:
Sudanese President Omar Hassan Ahmad al-Bashir has the dubious distinction of being the only sitting leader in the world to be charged with a war crime on March 4, 2009. The court refers to crimes committed in Darfur. But Darfur is not Bashir's only headache. South Sudan is now an autonomous, oil-rich region that battled Khartoum for two decades before a peace deal was signed in 2005 to hold a referendum in 2006 on South Sudan's full secession and the composition of the country. The elections forced both sides to rearm, and a wave of violence in the south destroyed South Sudan's chances. Pictured here are al-Bashir's supporters greeting him on March 18, 2009. He remains popular in the north.
Mexico:
Despite the fact that Mexico is now a developing country with a predominantly middle-class population, it has long struggled with drug smuggling and violence. The surge in drug-related deaths has many observers concerned about the future of this country. The number of drug-related deaths since January 2007 has reached 10,000, more than the number of American soldiers. Deaths in Iraq and Afghanistan. Despite efforts by Mexican President Felipe Calderon to crack down on drug traffickers, border cities like Tijuana and Ciudad Juarez, which serve as major drug routes, have become hotbeds of violence. The picture shows one of the drug distribution centers of Ciudad Juarez, where 18 people were killed and 5 were injured as a result of a clash between drug traffickers, August 2, 2009.
Indonesia:
Indonesia's two easternmost provinces, Papua and West Papua, have been fighting an insurgency to secede since the early 1960s. With the support of the United States, an agreement was signed in 1961 that the Netherlands would cede provinces to Indonesia, but this happened without the consent of the provinces themselves. Today, a low-intensity conflict continues between rebels armed with bows and arrows and Indonesian troops. Papua Free Movement leader Kelly Kwalia was killed last year during a shootout with the Indonesian military. Pictured here are members of the Papua Free Movement speaking to the press on July 21, 2009, denying allegations that they were involved in the 2002 mine attacks.
Iraq:
On December 13, 2003, nine months into the American invasion of Iraq, soldiers captured ousted Iraqi President Saddam Hussein at a compound near Tikrit during Operation Red Dawn. This success was preceded by three years of civil war and chaos, during which American troops were brutally attacked by Iraqi insurgents. Although the US managed to turn the tide of the war in 2007, Iraq continued to suffer from violence and political instability. Pictured is one of the 50,000 American soldiers who remained in control of the situation in Iraq, October 25, 2009.
Yemen:
Since June 2004, the Yemeni government has been in conflict with the Shia resistance "Houthis", named after the deceased leader Hussein Badreddin al-Houthi. Some analysts consider the war to be a covert war between Saudi Arabia and Iran. Saudi Arabia, the seat of Sunni power in the region, clashes with the Yemeni government and even carries out airstrikes and attacks in border areas, while Iran, the center of Shiite power, supports the rebels. Although the Yemeni government and Houthis signed a ceasefire agreement in February 2010, it is too early to say whether this agreement will be respected. Pictured is a group of Houthis rebels driving through the Malahidh region of Yemen, near the border with Saudi Arabia, February 17, 2010.
Uzbekistan:
Uzbekistan was in a long conflict with Islamists who were trying to strengthen the Muslim population. In particular, the instability of the Uzbek authorities convinced the terrorists that they would be able to establish contact with the authorities. As recently as 2005, members of the Uzbek Interior Ministry and security forces opened fire on a crowd of Muslim protesters in Andijan. The number of those killed is estimated at 187 people (according to official figures) to 1,500 (this figure appears in the report of a former Uzbek intelligence officer). The photo shows the Uzbek embassy in London, May 17, 2005, painted with red inscriptions - the consequences of the massacre in Andijan.
Uganda:
Over the past 22 years, fanatical guerrilla Joseph Kony has led the Lord's Resistance Army through the north of the country into the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Sudan. The movement initially sought to overthrow the Ugandan government and establish a Christian theocracy. Nowadays it has descended to robbery and looting. The rebels are known for turning children into slaves and warriors; The rebel army now numbers 3,000. Ceasefire between Uganda and the Lord's Resistance Army in 2006-2008. was discussed in Juba, Sudan, but all hopes of peaceful coexistence were dashed after Kony reneged on the agreement in April 2008. The photo shows a woman and her children in front of their destroyed hut in Uganda, September 24, 2007.
Thailand:
The Thai government has long had strained relations with the country's Muslim population, the majority of whom lived in the southern province of Pattani. Tensions peaked in 2004 when Islamists rebelled in Pattani, sparking a full-blown separatist uprising. Bangkok demanded that the situation in the troubled region be immediately stabilized. Meanwhile, the death toll continued to rise, with more than 3,000 civilians killed as of March 2008. Here, Thai soldiers inspect the body of a suspected rebel who was killed in a firefight on February 15, 2010. Ogaden, Ethiopia:
The Ogaden Liberation Front, a group of ethnic Somalis from Ethiopia, has been fighting for the independence of the Ogaden since 1984. This independence, in their opinion, should inevitably lead to unification with Somalia. Having failed to achieve this result, Ethiopia cracked down on the Ogaden. Some believe that the 2006 invasion of Somalia was a pre-emptive maneuver to dissuade the Somali Islamist government from going to war over Somalia even more stubbornly. The picture shows a boy tending cattle in a rural nomadic area, January 17, 2008.
