Countries at war: 4 zones of endless conflict

We live in a quaint little world that is both large and secure. We no longer have wars (at least not huge ones) in some parts of the world because we have checks and balances in place.

I’m curious about what it’s like to live in a world where nuclear war is not just a possibility but a historical truth. This is how Japanese people live. Nuclear bombs have already dropped on their heads; therefore, they are likely to have a somewhat different perspective on the system of mutual checks. But it was a long time ago, and Japan has since recovered and reclaimed its place in the world.

Other nations exist in a parallel universe, engulfed in a never-ending cycle of wars and conflicts. Some areas have been at odds from the dawn of human civilization – in general, from the dawn of human civilization until the current day.

The Central African Republic

In general, it is easier to name African regions where there are no wars and all kinds of inter-tribal squabbles. It’s just that Central Africa is hard. The Second Congolese War is worth a lot! 4 million corpses; mainly took place on the territory of the Congo. Genocide in Rwanda – another million corpses in three months. The civil war in Sudan lasted 50 years, as a result, the country was divided into two parts, and South Sudan is today the youngest of the recognized states. However, the war did not end there. The incandescence has died down somewhat, but a new ignition is just a matter of time. War cannot be avoided when 90% of the population lives below the poverty line, and classical military dictators are in power.

In 2018, for several days, all the news feeds worldwide were filled with headlines with the abbreviation CAR. Then many journalists disappeared in this African country. The Central African Republic is one of the most dangerous countries in the world for tourists; some areas are not controlled by the government at all and controlled by whom? Who will take the queue in the morning before? Today – one gang, tomorrow – another. Well, this is Africa.

The UN Peacekeeping Mission has drawn up a timetable for safe road travel. All major roads in the country are divided into three categories: green – safe, yellow – safe during the day, red – always dangerous. So, about 70% of all freeways are painted red. This means that it is recommended to move along them only in groups and with weapons during the day.

Of course, there is also Somalia. This is South Africa. A small country with the ancient capital of Mogadishu, with an ideal geographical position and a dozen dwarf states. In reality, Somalia does not exist – several dwarf states arise, disappear, unite and disintegrate on its territory. Nobody will say how many of them are there today. Somewhere 9. Maybe a little more; maybe less. They constantly disintegrate and are created again. If the DPRK is a model of totalitarianism, then Somalia is a manifestation of the wildest anarchism. A unique country in its own way. Where would you choose to be born? If there are only two options: North Korea and Somalia.

Mesoamerica

Mesoamerica is a region that includes an isthmus between two continents, as well as parts of Mexico and South America. In general, the very place where there is always some kind of trash and waste. Have you seen the showdown of drug cartels? You can search on LiveLeak, but it’s really 18+, and the hosting itself is blocked in Russia.

Mexico has a virtual division into states, but in reality – on the territory of drug cartels. They are so strong that they are able to resist regular army units and even more so the police. Naturally, the army cannot use all types of weapons in a city war. They do without aviation and artillery, but all the same – this is the army, and against it the bandits. They are just very rich, and there are a lot of them. Over the years of the existence of Sinaloa, the Mexican authorities intercepted or shot down more than 500 aircraft of the cartel – this is the largest fleet of Mexico itself.

The wrong country was called Honduras, but same Honduras is located in Mesoamerica, and the United States invaded it 6 times only in the 20th century. They persistently carried democracy, and today they wonder why the refugees are bringing caravans to them. This is also why. Near Honduras is El Salvador, the birthplace of MS-13. Mara Salvatrucha (or MS-13) is the largest street gang in the world and probably the most frostbitten. The number of “Mary” is estimated at 150-200 thousand people, of which only in the United States there are 50 thousand. “Ants” operate in all countries of both Americas, in the Caribbean, and even reached Europe – it is reliably known about the presence of cells in Spain and Portugal. The question arises: is it still just a street gang or is it a whole nation? Mara Salvatrucha commits dozens of crimes and several murders every day,

The region also has wonderful Colombia, a country leading in the number of kidnappings for ransom or blackmail. Naturally, there are street gangs and cartels there – you’ve probably heard of the Medellin cartel and Pablo Escobar. Today Medellin is no longer the same, and in general, the cartels have pinched hard for the past 15 years, but Colombia remains the leader in the production of cocaine. It so happened that local farmers have lived on coca for generations: the plant is unpretentious, there are always buyers. For many families, this is generally the only way to survive. The government is developing small business support programs trying to switch farmers from coca to bananas or whatever. It turns out so-so, moreover, thousands of partisans are still running in the jungle. They settled there 70 years ago. So they sit.

Arabian Peninsula

In the context of the topic of zones of eternal war, one simply cannot ignore the wonderful Arabian Peninsula. There, wars have been going on from the very beginning, literally from the very inception of human civilization. Sometimes it becomes a little calmer, and sometimes it starts to blaze in full force. Syria, for example, is now in ruins, bombs and missiles are falling on Damascus, which is 7-8 thousand years old. In general, have you seen footage from Aleppo, Raqqa, or Homs? This is really Dust 2, only an even more cumbersome location. You watch such reports, and instead of cities, you see piles of stones. They seem to be completely destroyed, but people still live there. They just have nowhere else to go.

The situation is the same in Iraq: cities destroyed to the ground and no prospects. The current war is a continuation of the country’s consistent foreign policy. In the 1980s, Iraq invaded Iran; later, Yeltsin will report that he does not understand why they are fighting because both are Arabs. This is despite the fact that Persians live in Iran – the geopolitical and historical competitors of the Arabs. These guys fought for 8 years, in the end, no one acquired anything, the borders did not change in any way, so the frigate of the US Navy (USS Stark) also got mixed up by chance.

Then Iraq fought with Kuwait and captured the country in 2 days, but it had to retreat six months later. The Americans returned and recalled the USS Stark frigate. Reminded in their usual manner – you can google pictures for the request “Death Highway”. The retreating Iraqi army was attacked from the air right on the highway; most of the equipment remained there. Moreover, some of this burnt-out equipment is still standing along the side of the highway. Then there was the direct US invasion of Iraq, the overthrow and execution of Saddam (who fought all past wars), the establishment of democracy, thousands of disgruntled members of the former ruling party and the military. As a result, dozens of terrorist organizations arose, including the IS. And this series has been going on for 10 thousand years.

Central Asia

Afghanistan and all that surrounds it make up Central Asia. The people there are constantly in charge of some kind of movement. Kashmir is the region’s most distinctive location. A huge mountainous region that was formerly an independent state. Consider yourself to be a Kashmiri patriot striving for independence. A major portion of your country’s population sympathizes with Pakistan, while another portion sympathizes with India; others would wish to wake up as a Chinese citizen.

The country’s whole territory is split among these three neighbors, all of which are nuclear powers with massive militaries. Oh, and your battle will be difficult; the road of the Kashmiri patriot is difficult! Because the area is uninteresting to the international media, nothing is heard about it. Casualty clashes, terrorist assaults, hostage-taking, and border conflicts, on the other hand, are all too common there.

Of course, there’s fabled Afghanistan, and today we’ll debunk one myth or legend: no one has ever conquered Afghanistan because its people are so rebellious. In truth, the Mongols were the ones who accomplished it. And in such a manner that it evolved into what it is now from the land of gardens. Then there were the Arab conquests, which included Iran for a brief period. There was a nearly century-long period of British colonialism.

On the other hand, the Afghan people have always waged guerrilla battles, even during periods of total occupation or colonialism, with the goal of eventual freedom. Afghanistan is known as the “graveyard of empires,” since many people have lost their teeth there. The siege has always been very costly.

Pakistan is still close by. In a nutshell, it is:

• 1947 – independence;
• 1958 – military coup;
• 1977 – military coup;
• 1988 – the death of the president;
• 1999 – military coup;
• 2008 – the death of the prime minister, impeachment, coup…

These men, by the way, have nuclear weapons, and if you drink from the incorrect well, you may be put to death. Asia Bibi, a mother of five, drank water from a local well after harvesting berries in 2009. The well turned out to be unique, resembling a Muslim shrine. The lady, according to the neighbors, had desecrated it. A year in solitary confinement, a death sentence, and a further eight years in jail awaiting execution – and a pardon. According to local norms, it bounced off.