Central African Republic (2014 – first combat deaths) The Conflict at a Glance: Who (are the main combatants): Since the 2013 coup and the collapse of the Séléka regime, the government of the Central African Republic has attempted to transition to peace, supported by the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission (MINUSCA) and troops from the EU and France. Opposing …
Canada’s future role in UN peace operations
It has been almost three decades since Canada was among the leading contributors of troops to United Nations peacekeeping missions. In late 2017, the government announced Canada’s return to peace operations and, in March 2018, Canada deployed an Air Task Force to the UN mission in Mali. With the one-year period allotted for the Canadian mission coming to an end …
Blurring the lines: Virtual, mixed reality and the future of warfare
In early October 2017, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and colleague Rachel Franklin sat in offices in California wearing headsets while they toured a video by National Public Radio of hurricane-devastated Puerto Rico using virtual-reality application Spaces. In a live stream, cartoon characters Zuckerberg and Franklin could be seen touring the footage of the island. The broadcast created a large backlash. …
Pakistan (1992 – first combat deaths)
Pakistan (1992 – first combat deaths) The Conflict at a Glance Who (are the main combatants): The government of Pakistan, supported by the Pakistani Armed Forces and the country’s intelligence agency, versus the Taliban, al-Qaeda and various militant groups. There is also fighting among different regional militant groups. Groups such as the Taliban and al-Qaeda often target civilians. What …
Afghanistan (1978 – first combat deaths)
Last Updated: January 11, 2019 The Conflict at a Glance Who (are the main combatants): The government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, the country’s military – known as the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF) and combatants fighting under NATO are attempting to govern the multiplicity of disparate tribal areas that make up the country. They are opposed by …
Sudan-Darfur (2003 – first combat deaths)
Sudan-Darfur (2003 – first combat deaths) Conflict at a Glance Who (are the main combatants): The Government of Sudan, led by President Omar Hassan al-Bashir, and supported by official Sudanese forces and the Janjaweed militias in Darfur, against three (mostly) separate insurgencies in Darfur region, Blue Nile and South Kordofan states. Rebel armed groups include multiple factions …
South Sudan: formerly Sudan (1983 – first combat deaths)
South Sudan: formerly Sudan (1983 – first combat deaths) The Conflict at a Glance Who (are the main combatants): The Government of South Sudan, with the support of Uganda, opposes rebel militias. Violence is largely between supporters of the government of President Salva Kiir and those loyal to former Vice-President Riek Machar. There is dissension within the ranks of the …
Syria (2011 – first combat deaths)
Syria (2011 – first combat deaths) The Conflict at a Glance Who (are the main combatants): The Syrian Armed Forces and militia groups loyal to the Bashar Assad regime versus a diverse and disjointed opposition. Some rebel groups, such as the Free Syrian Army, have drawn on defections from the Syrian Armed Forces for strength, while emerging Islamist …
Turkey (2003 — first combat deaths for this phase of the conflict)
Turkey (2003 — first combat deaths for this phase of the conflict) The Conflict at a Glance Who (are the main combatants): The government of Turkey is in conflict with the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which contains a militant wing with ties in northern Iraq. The PKK is viewed as a terrorist organization by Turkey and other countries, including …
Mali (2012 – first combat deaths)
Mali (2012 – first combat deaths) The Conflict at a Glance Who (are the main combatants): The government of Mali, supported by France, against Tuareg rebels, mainly the National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (MNLA) and multiple Islamist rebel groups, including Ansar Dine, al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) and the Movement for Unity and Jihad in West Africa …