Today it may seem that all the terrible wars are in the distant past. But this is not so at all. Despite the fact that, according to studies, in the 21st century, as a result of military operations, much fewer people die as a result of military operations than in past centuries, hot spots flare up in different regions of our planet. Armed conflicts, military crises - probably, humanity will never lay down its arms.
The planet's hot spots are like old wounds that still can't heal. For some time, conflicts fade away, but then they flare up again and again, bringing pain and suffering to humanity. The International Crisis Group has named regions of hot spots on our planet that threaten the world right now.
Iraq
The conflict occurred between the "Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant" (ISIS) and government forces, as well as other religious and ethnic groups in the country. Thus, ISIS terrorists announced that they were going to create an Islamic state - a caliphate - in the territories of Syria and Iraq. Of course, the current government actedvs.
However, at the moment, it is not possible to resist the militants. Military hotspots are breaking out across the country, and the ISIS caliphate is expanding its borders. Today it is a vast territory from the borders of Baghdad to the Syrian city of Aleppo. The troops of the current government were able to liberate only two large cities from terrorists - Uja and Tikrit.
The Autonomy of Iraqi Kurdistan took advantage of the difficult situation in the country. During the offensive operations of ISIS, the Kurds seized power over several large oil-producing areas. And today they announced a referendum and withdrawal from Iraq.
Gaza Strip
The Gaza Strip has been on the list of hot spots for a long time. Conflicts between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas have flared up again and again for decades. The main reason is the unwillingness of the parties to listen to each other's arguments.
Thus, Israel launched a military operation in order to destroy the infrastructure of underground tunnels and warehouses with stocks of Palestinian weapons in order to deprive terrorists of the opportunity to attack Israeli territory. Hamas demands to lift the economic blockade of the Gaza Strip and release the prisoners.
The direct cause of the fighting that is now unfolding in the Gaza Strip was the death of three Israeli teenagers, and in response to this, the murder of a Palestinian. And on July 17, 2014, the next hostilities began: tanks drove, rockets flew.
Already several times during this time, the parties were going to conclude a truce, but all attempts to agree on nothingbrought. Shells are still exploding, people are dying, and journalists in hot spots are taking such pictures that it’s scary to look…
Syria
The military conflict in Syria flared up after the authorities brutally suppressed opposition demonstrations that broke out under the auspices of the "Arab Spring". The clashes between the government army under the command of Bashar al-Assad and the coalition of the Syrian armed forces led to a real war. It affected almost the entire country: about 1,500 groups (al-Nusra Front, ISIS and others) joined the military operations, more than 100 thousand citizens took up arms. Radical Islamists have become the strongest and most dangerous.
Hot spots scattered all over the country today. After all, Syria is under the control of various terrorist gangs. Most of the country today is controlled by government troops. The north of the state is completely captured by ISIS fighters. Although in some places the Kurds are still trying to win back the territory. Not far from the capital, militants of an organized group called "Islamic Front" became more active. And in the city of Aleppo, there are skirmishes between Assad's military forces and the moderate opposition.
South Sudan
The country is divided into two opposing tribal unions - Nuer and Dinka. The Nuer are the predominant population of the state, and the incumbent president also belongs to them. The Dinkas are the second largest ethnic group in South Sudan.
The conflict erupted after the President of Sudan announced to the public thathis assistant, the vice president, tried to provoke a coup d'état in the country. Immediately after his speech, riots, protests and numerous arrests began in the country. Complete devastation and disorganization resulted in a real military conflict.
Today, the oil-producing regions of the country are hot spots. They are under the rule of rebels led by a disgraced vice president. This had a negative impact on the economic component of Sudan. The civilian population of the country also suffered greatly: more than ten thousand victims, about seven hundred thousand were forced to become refugees. In order to somehow resolve this conflict, the UN sent its peacekeeping contingent to South Sudan, which was supposed to serve as protection for the civilian population.
In the spring of 2014, militant alliances tried to come to some kind of compromise. However, the leader of the rebels openly admitted that he had long lost power over the rebels. In addition, Ugandan troops, acting on the side of the President of Sudan, prevented the peace talks.
Nigeria
A terrorist Islamic organization called Boko Haram has been operating in the country since 2002. Their main goal is to establish Sharia law throughout Nigeria. However, both the authorities and the majority of citizens are against this “proposal”, since Muslims do not make up the majority in the country.
From the day of its foundation, the group has significantly expanded its influence, armed itself well and began to openly kill Christians, as well as thoseMuslims who are loyal to them. Terrorists carry out terrorist attacks daily and publicly execute people. In addition, they periodically take hostages. So, in April 2014, more than two hundred schoolgirls were captured by the Islamists. They hold them for ransom, as well as prostitution and slavery.
The country's government has repeatedly tried to negotiate with the terrorists, but no negotiations have come of it. Today, entire regions of the country are under the rule of the group. And the authorities are not able to cope with the current situation. The President of Nigeria requested financial assistance from the world community in order to increase the combat capability of the country's army, which is currently losing to extremists.
Sahel Region
The crisis began back in 2012, when, due to the hostilities taking place in Libya, the Tuareg massively poured into the territory of Mali. In the northern part of the country, they formed a state called Azawad. However, less than a year later, a military coup broke out in the self-proclaimed power. Taking advantage of the situation, France sent its troops into Mali to help fight the Tuareg and radical Islamists who control the area. In general, today the Sahel has become a stronghold of the slave trade, drug trafficking, arms sales and prostitution.
War infighting eventually led to massive famine. According to the UN, more than eleven million people in the region are sitting without food, and if the situation is not resolved, then by the end of 2014 this figure will increase by another seven million. However, no change for the better yetis not expected: military operations between the government, the French, the Tuareg and terrorists are in full swing throughout Mali. And this despite the fact that the state of Azawad is no more.
Mexico
In Mexico for more than a dozen years there has been a constant confrontation between local drug cartels. The authorities never touched them, as they were completely corrupt. And it was no secret to anyone. However, when Felipe Calderon was elected president in 2006, everything changed. The new head of the country decided to change the existing situation once and for all and sent an army to one of the states to deal with crime and restore law and order. It didn't lead to anything good. The confrontation between government soldiers and bandits ended in a war, in which the whole country ended up.
In the eight years since the start of the conflict, the drug cartels have gained power, power and significantly expanded their borders. If earlier they fought among themselves for the quantity and quality of drug products, today they are arguing over highways, ports and coastal cities. Under the control of the mafia were the markets for weapons, prostitution, counterfeit products. Government troops are clearly losing in this fight. And the reason for this is corruption. It comes to the point that many military simply go over to the side of drug cartels. In some regions of the country, local residents also opposed the mafia: they organized militias. By this, people want to show that they absolutely do not trust either the authorities or the local police.
Hot spots of Central Asia
Tension in the region is created by Afghanistan, the wars in which have not subsided for many decades, as well as Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan, which have become involved in territorial disputes with each other. Another reason for the constant conflicts in the region is the main drug traffic in the Eastern Hemisphere. Because of him, local criminal gangs constantly clash.
It seemed that after the Americans removed their military from Afghanistan, peace finally came to the country. However, it did not last long. After the presidential election, a mass of dissatisfied people appeared who refused to recognize the vote as legitimate. Taking advantage of the situation in the country, the Taliban terrorist organization began to seize the capital of Afghanistan.
In the winter of 2014, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan got involved in territorial strife, which was accompanied by military operations in the border areas. Tajikistan stated that Kyrgyzstan violated the existing borders. In turn, the government of Kyrgyzstan accused them of the same. Since the collapse of the USSR, conflicts have periodically arisen between these countries over the existing designation of borders, but there is still no clear division. Uzbekistan also intervened in the dispute, having already presented its claims. The question is still the same: the country's authorities do not agree with the borders that were formed after the collapse of the USSR. The states have repeatedly tried to somehow resolve the situation, but they have not come to an agreement and a concrete solution to the issue. At the moment, the atmosphere in the region is extremely tense and inany moment could escalate into hostilities.
China and countries in the region
Today the Paracel Islands are hot spots on the planet. The beginning of the conflict was the fact that the Chinese suspended the development of oil wells near the archipelago. This did not please Vietnam and the Philippines, who sent their troops to Hanoi. To show the Chinese their attitude to the current situation, the military of both countries played a demonstration football match on the territory of the Spratly archipelago. By this, they aroused the wrath of Beijing: Chinese warships appeared near the disputed islands. At the same time, there were no hostilities from Beijing. However, Vietnam claims that Chinese-flagged warships have already sunk more than one fishing boat. Mutual reproaches and accusations can at any moment lead to the fact that rockets will fly.
Hot spots of Ukraine
The crisis in Ukraine began in November 2013. After the Crimean peninsula became part of the Russian Federation in March, it intensified. Dissatisfied with the position in the state, pro-Russian activists formed the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics in the East of Ukraine. The government, headed by the new President Poroshenko, sent an army against the separatists. The fighting unfolded on the territory of Donbass (map of hot spots below).
In the summer of 2014, a liner from Malaysia crashed over the territory of Donbass, controlled by separatists. 298 people died. The Ukrainian government announcedthe DPR and LPR militants responsible for this tragedy, as well as the Russian side, allegedly supplying the rebels with weapons and air defense systems, with the help of which the liner was shot down. However, the DPR and LPR refused to be involved in the disaster. Russia also stated that it had nothing to do with the conflict inside Ukraine and the death of the liner.
On September 5, the Minsk ceasefire agreement was signed, as a result of which active hostilities in the country ceased. However, in some areas (for example, Donetsk airport), shelling and explosions continue to this day.
Hot spots of Russia
Today, there are no military operations on the territory of the Russian Federation, and there are no hot spots. However, since the collapse of the Soviet Union, conflicts have flared up on the territory of our country more than once. Thus, the hottest spots in Russia this decade are undoubtedly Chechnya, the North Caucasus and South Ossetia.
Until 2009, Chechnya was a constant site of hostilities: first the first Chechen war (from 1994 to 1996), then the second Chechen war (from 1999 to 2009). In August 2008, the Georgian-Ossetian conflict took place, in which Russian troops also took part. The fighting began on August 8, and five days later ended with the signing of a peace treaty.
Today, a Russian soldier has two ways to get into hot spots: the army and contract service. According to the changes made to the Regulations governing the procedure for military service, conscripts can be sent to hotpoints after four months of preparation (previously this period was six months).
According to the contract, you can get into a hot spot by concluding an appropriate agreement with the country. This contract is drawn up only on a voluntary basis and for a specific period, which a citizen is obliged to serve. Contract service attracts many, because it can make a lot of money. Amounts vary by region. For example, in Kosovo they pay from 36 thousand per month, and in Tajikistan - much less. Big money could have been made for taking risks in Chechnya.
Before signing a contract, volunteers must go through a rigorous selection process, from computer testing on the website of the Ministry of Defense to a complete examination of the state of he alth, mentality, identity verification, law abidance and loy alty.
