Global Conflicts Ebb and Flow, But War's Brutal Truths Endure

Conflicts worldwide show patterns of resurgence and resolution. Nations like Angola and Liberia have found stability after years of strife, yet Mozambique has seen violence return. Meanwhile, hotspots persist in Sudan, DR Congo, Somalia, and the Sahel region.

Recent high-profile wars, such as Russia-Ukraine and the Israel-US-Iran confrontation, highlight evolving tactics. Russia’s initial expectation of swift victory in Ukraine faltered, prolonged by NATO aid and Ukraine’s effective drone strategies. Affordable armed drones are now reshaping fights in Sudan and DR Congo, raising containment costs while delivering psychological blows.

Despite technological shifts, war’s fundamentals remain unchanged. Asymmetric tactics echo ancient tales like David versus Goliath, and geography—such as Iran’s control near the Strait of Hormuz—plays a timeless role in strategy.

Statistics paint a grim picture: around 130 armed conflicts rage globally, 30 deemed major, claiming 240,000 lives in the last year alone. The absence of world wars offers relative calm, but true peace eludes us.

Three enduring lessons stand out. Prussian general Helmuth von Moltke noted no plan survives enemy contact, evident in ongoing battles. Wars ignite easily but drag on stubbornly. As Sun Tzu advised, the supreme win comes without battle.

This analysis draws from a column by Daniel K. Kalinaki in the Daily Monitor: https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/oped/columnists/daniel-kalinaki/war-war-everywhere-but-it-s-the-same-old-blood-letting-5403454.