Current “Minor” wars and conflicts in the world— Wars and conflicts, which are relatively small impact on the world or the region in which they occur. Placement on this list is somewhat subjective. For nations and individual people caught up in these conflicts, these wars are far from “minor,” but from the perspective of the world as a whole, they are possess a lower “profile” than the wars in the “major” category. This category also contains “one-time” occurrences such as the Korean border battles, which are part of a long-standing hostility. Generally speaking, these conflicts involve few than 1,000 deaths, involve only one nation (for internal conflicts) or only two nations (for international conflicts) and/or do not possess the likelihood of developing into multi-national regional conflicts.
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Alphabetical listing.
q Bougainville War of Independence—(1989-Present): The island of Bougainville seeks independence from Papua New Guinea.
q Cabinda (Angola) Separatist War—(1984-Present): The Front for the Liberation of the Enclave of Cabinda (FLEC) seeks to separate the oil-rich enclave of Cabinda from Angola. On September 19, 2002, the Angolan army began a major military offensive against the Cabinda rebels.
q Chad-Central African Republic Border Conflict—(Aug. 7, 2002): The armies of Chad and the CAR clashed in an exchange that left approximately two dozen dead. Each side blamed the other for initiating the attack. Tensions have been high since an attempted coup in the CAR last November.
q Chittagong Hill Tracts War in Bangladesh- (1975?-Present): Peace settlements have ended some fighting, but at least one rebel group remains active.
q Hmong Insurgency in Laos—(1975-Present): The Hmong ethnic group have fought the Communist government since it took power following the end of the Vietnam (2nd Indochina) War in 1975. Vietnam provides military aid and troops to the Laotian government periodically.
q India: Minor Wars—A series of conflicts mostly involving ethnic groups seeking independence or autonomy from the central government. One conflict, the Naxalite War, is political rather than ethnic. These are in addition to the Kashmir Rebellion, which rates as a major conflict.
o Hindu-Muslim Sectarian Violence—(1947-Present): Since independence from Britain in 1947, Hindus and Muslims in India have engaged in periodic outbursts of violence against each other. The latest mob violence in early 2002 in the state of Gujarat claimed 800 to 1,000 lives.
o Naga Rebellion—(1952-Present): The Naga ethnic group sought independence from India. A cease-fire took effect in 1997, though some Naga groups continue to oppose the government.
o Mizo Rebellion—(Feb. 28, 1966-Present): The Mizo National Front (MNF) seeks independence from India for the Mizoram region.
o Naxalite Guerrilla War—(May 25, 1967-Present): Beginning with a peasant uprising in the town of Naxalbari, this Marxist/Maoist rebellion sputters on in the Indian countryside. The guerrillas operate among the impoverished peasants and fight both the government security forces and the private paramilitary groups funded by wealthy landowners. Most fighting takes place in the states of Andhra Pradesh, Mahrashtra, Orissa and Madhya Pradesh.
o Tripura Rebellion—(1979-Present): Tripura, in Northeast India, is embroiled in a separatist rebellion as several rebel groups fight for independence.
o Assam Rebellion—(1980-Present): The United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA) formed in April 1979 in response to an influx of non-Assamese from Bangladesh and parts of North East India. This movement seeks to evict those "foreigners" and seek greater autonomy from the Indian government.
o Bodo Rebellion—(Mid-1980s-Present): The National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) is fighting for a separate state within India. They feel that their ethnic group is persecuted by the Assamese and Bengali groups which dominate the region.
q Indonesia: Minor Wars—A series of rebellions against the government, along with sectarian and ethnic violence between Indonesia’s many ethnic and religious groups continues to threaten the unity and perhaps the continued survival of Indonesia. These do not include the recently resolved conflict in East Timor, which resulted in that island’s independence.
o West Papua Rebellion—(1965-Present):
o Aceh Rebellion—(mid-1980s-Present):
o Ambon Ethnic Violence—(1999-Present)
o Sulawesi Sectarian Violence—(1998-Present): Violence between Muslims and Christians on the island of Sulawesi. Violence escalated in mid-2001, when thousands of members of a fundamentalist Muslim militia called Laskar Jihad arrived from the island of Java.
q Iranian Mujahadeen Khalq Guerrilla War—(1979-Present): After the Iranian Revolution in 1979 toppled the government of the Shah, the Mujahadeen Khalq soon began a bloody guerrilla war against the new Islamic government. The Mujahadeen are currently based in Iraq and conduct cross-border raids into Iran, as well as conducting urban guerrilla operations in the cities and conducting political assassinations. Iran occasionally launches raids against Khalq bases in Iraq.
q Japanese Coast Guard Sinking of Suspected Spy Ship—(Dec. 21 and 22, 2001): The Japanese Coast Guard chased a suspected spy ship and sank it. Crewmembers of the spy ship fired on the Japanese ships, wounding two Coast Guard sailors. The spy ship crew all perished when their vessel sank. Japan suspects the ship was North Korean.
q Korean Border Battle at Sea—(June 28, 2002): North and South Korean naval vessels fought a twenty-minute gun battle in which 4 South Korean sailors died and 18 wounded near Yeonpyeong island in the Yellow Sea. A South Korean vessel was sunk and a North Korean vessel sustained damage, with casualties. This is one of several Korean border fights in recent years. News link—BBC
q Korean Border Battle—(Nov. 27, 2001): The first cross-border shooting of 2001 between North and South Korea. North Korean troops fired several shots at a South Korean guard post. The South Koreans returned fire.
q Kurdish Rebellion in Iraq—(1991-Present): Following Iraq's defeat in the Second Persian Gulf War (1990-1991), Iraq's Kurds rebelled, seeking independence. This is the latest in a long series of Kurdish uprisings. The Kurds currently enjoy autonomy in north Iraq under the protection of the United States and the United Kingdom.
q Kurdish Rebellion in Turkey—(1984-Present): Rebel groups of the Kurdish ethnic group seek independence from Turkey.
q Namibia: Caprivi Uprising—(Aug. 2, 1999-Present): The Caprivi Liberation Army, led by Namibian politician Mishake Muyongo, claims that the government is neglecting their region. Guerrillas attacked Namibian military and police on August 2 in the Caprivi area.
q Niger Army Mutiny—( July 31-Aug. 9, 2002): Forces loyal to the government of Niger put down an army mutiny that had spread to several army garrisons across the country. The uprising is believed related to low pay for army soldiers. News link--BBC
q Nigerian Minor Conflicts—(1991-Present): Various ethnic and religious groups in Nigeria engage in sporadic communal violence. More detail to be added soon.
q Oromo Rebellion in Ethiopia—(1973-Present): Long-running rebellion by the Oromo Liberation Front. The OLF is currently allied to Eritrea, the Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF) and with the Aideed clan in Somalia--all of which are fighting the Ethiopian regime. See Ethiopian-Oromo Conflicts
q Russian Bombing of Pankisi Gorge in Georgia—(September, 2002): Russian warplanes bombed the Pankisi Gorge in Georgia, which borders on Chechnya. Russia claimed that Chechen rebels used the Gorge as a staging area for attacks on Russian forces in Chechnya. Georgia protested the attacks.
q Shiite Muslim Rebellion in Iraq--—(1991-Present): Following Iraq's defeat in the Second Persian Gulf War (1990-1991), Iraq's Shiites, a religious minority, rebelled against the government. Low-level guerrilla warfare continues in the southern marshes.
q Somali Civil War (state of anarchy)—(1991-Present): The Somali government ceased to exist following the 1991 overthrow of dictator Siade Barre. Rival Somali groups fight for advantage but the net result is anarchy. In 1992 and 1993, United Nations forces, led by the United States, attempted to bring order to the country and head off a famine. After incurring casualties, the U.S. and the U.N. withdrew.
q Tuareg Rebellion in Niger—
q Yemen Tribal Conflict—(Dec. 19, 2001): Yemeni armed forces moved against several villages of the Abida tribe suspected of harboring al-Qaida fugitives. 24 soldiers and 16 members of the Adiba tribe perished. American Special Forces were in Yemen to train the government military so that operations such as this one against suspected terrorists could be undertaken. No Americans are known to have taken part in this operation. (part of America’s world wide War on Terrorism)-- |
