Thirteen actual or potential conflict situations around the world deteriorated in October 2006, according to the November issue of CrisisWatch.
Over 70 countries around the world in October were considered to be in a state of partial/full/or continuing conflict, forcing thousands of people into internal/external displacement.
Sudan/Darfur, conflict threatened to engulf much of the Horn of Africa, as instability in continued to spill across Sudan's borders .
Somalia's civil war risked escalating into a region-wide war involving rivals Ethiopia and Eritrea.
Israel, incursions into Palestinian population centers intensified, while increasingly strained relations between Fatah and Hamas led to factional clashes in the Occupied Territories.
Iraq, sectarian violence and insurgent attacks worsened again, with U.S. forces sustaining their highest monthly death toll in two years.
North Korea conducted its first nuclear test, raising fears of a new arms race in east Asia.
Bangladesh, an interim government appointed in the lead-up to January elections in was met with violent protests.
Fiji there were fears of an imminent coup.
Serbia, a constitutional referendum inprompted accusations of massive irregularities by opposition groups and observers.
The situation also deteriorated in Central African Republic, Chad, Philippines and Sri Lanka.
Voting passed off mostly peacefully in the second round of the Democratic Republic of Congo's presidential elections, but serious concerns remain about the potential for violence when results are released in mid-November.
Conflict Risk Alerts for November
Bangladesh, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Fiji and Somalia as Conflict Risk Alerts, or situations at particular risk of new or significantly escalated conflict in the coming month.
Unchanged Situations
Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Angola, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Basque Country (Spain), Belarus, Bolivia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Burundi, Chechnya (Russia), China (internal), Colombia, Côte d‚Ivoire, Cyprus, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ecuador, Egypt, Georgia, Guinea, India (non-Kashmir), Indonesia, Iran, Kashmir, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Liberia, Macedonia, Mali, Moldova, Montenegro, Myanmar/Burma, Nagorno-Karabakh (Azerbaijan), Nepal, Niger, Nigeria, North Caucasus (non-Chechnya), Pakistan, Peru, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, Somaliland (Somalia), Sudan, Syria, Taiwan Strait, Tajikistan, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, Western Sahara, Zimbabwe
Improved Situations
In Northern Ireland, three days of talks in St. Andrews resulted in a timetable for return to devolved power-sharing by March 2007. And the U.S. announced it would ease a 15-year arms embargo in Haiti, giving President Préval a vote of confidence. Kidnappings in the country declined this month and efforts to disarm gangs moved forward.
CrisisWatch N°39, 1 November 2006
http://www.crisisgroup.org/home/index.cfm?id=4476&l=1
Sudan/Darfur, conflict threatened to engulf much of the Horn of Africa, as instability in continued to spill across Sudan's borders .
Somalia's civil war risked escalating into a region-wide war involving rivals Ethiopia and Eritrea.
Israel, incursions into Palestinian population centers intensified, while increasingly strained relations between Fatah and Hamas led to factional clashes in the Occupied Territories.
Iraq, sectarian violence and insurgent attacks worsened again, with U.S. forces sustaining their highest monthly death toll in two years.
North Korea conducted its first nuclear test, raising fears of a new arms race in east Asia.
Bangladesh, an interim government appointed in the lead-up to January elections in was met with violent protests.
Fiji there were fears of an imminent coup.
Serbia, a constitutional referendum inprompted accusations of massive irregularities by opposition groups and observers.
The situation also deteriorated in Central African Republic, Chad, Philippines and Sri Lanka.
Voting passed off mostly peacefully in the second round of the Democratic Republic of Congo's presidential elections, but serious concerns remain about the potential for violence when results are released in mid-November.
Conflict Risk Alerts for November
Bangladesh, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Fiji and Somalia as Conflict Risk Alerts, or situations at particular risk of new or significantly escalated conflict in the coming month.
Unchanged Situations
Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Angola, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Basque Country (Spain), Belarus, Bolivia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Burundi, Chechnya (Russia), China (internal), Colombia, Côte d‚Ivoire, Cyprus, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ecuador, Egypt, Georgia, Guinea, India (non-Kashmir), Indonesia, Iran, Kashmir, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Liberia, Macedonia, Mali, Moldova, Montenegro, Myanmar/Burma, Nagorno-Karabakh (Azerbaijan), Nepal, Niger, Nigeria, North Caucasus (non-Chechnya), Pakistan, Peru, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, Somaliland (Somalia), Sudan, Syria, Taiwan Strait, Tajikistan, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, Western Sahara, Zimbabwe
Improved Situations
In Northern Ireland, three days of talks in St. Andrews resulted in a timetable for return to devolved power-sharing by March 2007. And the U.S. announced it would ease a 15-year arms embargo in Haiti, giving President Préval a vote of confidence. Kidnappings in the country declined this month and efforts to disarm gangs moved forward.
CrisisWatch N°39, 1 November 2006
http://www.crisisgroup.org/home/index.cfm?id=4476&l=1
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