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OPINION

War, death and destruction, which are a result of human actions, are plaguing the world. They are making it a hard place to live in.

Throughout human history, there have been dangerous situations threatening lives, but their magnitude should not be as unprecedented as it is in modern times.

Today humans know better. It is different from the ancient days as they were asserting themselves and still at the primitive stage, making war inevitable. Then collision of cultures resulted in conflict.

However, it seems advancement seems to not have induced quality behaviour for humans to live amicably. It instead has bred competition, rivalries and intransigence.

The conflict in the Middle East with Israel and Hamas at war produces a script of death, destruction and desolation.

It began with an audacious attack by Hamas on October 7, 2023, in which more than 1,000 Israelis were killed and others abducted. In retaliation, enraged Israel has been merciless and reduced Gaza to rubble in the hunt for Hamas fighters. Entering its eighth month now, the war has drawn in Houthi rebels in Yemen, Iran and to some extent, Lebanon from where Hezbollah militants are lobbing rockets into Israel, which is also responding.

It is estimated that more than 30,000 Palestinians, including children have been killed in Gaza. With Iran getting involved as seen in missile and drone attacks on Israel recently, escalation could expand the war with dire consequences.

The Israel-Hamas conflict has overshadowed the Russia-Ukraine war, which broke out in February 2022. Not only does this show that the West recognises that a war in the Middle East could easily suck in the whole world.

This is because it has the potential to take on religious and racial dimensions as it pits Muslims against the Jews, and also Arabs against Israelis. Each side can easily draw support and divide the world.

The Russian-Ukraine war is gradually being defined by the Israel-Hamas conflict. Those backing Israel are more likely to support Ukraine with those sympathising with the Russians leaning towards Hamas and Arab countries that are opposed to the Jewish state. This rekindles the East-West confrontation, which ended with the collapse of the Berlin Wall in 1989. The then East rallied around the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) while in the case of the West it was the United States of America. The two superpowers avoided direct confrontation and instead engaged in proxy wars and Africa is an example of one of the theatres. This unending rivalry held the world back, stunting the development of poor countries.

Although the USSR broke up in 1991, Russia which was a dominant state in the union carries on with some of its characteristics. Gradually, this is ending the unipolar world that has obtained following the collapse of the Berlin Wall.

In the recent past, Africa’s wars have been forgotten. The situation in Sudan is devastating as the Sudan Armed Forces fight a paramilitary Rapid Support Forces for control of the government.

As the conflict enters its second year, it is difficult to tell who is in charge. Several people have been killed and property destroyed. Thousands have been uprooted from their homes and have ended up in refugee camps in neighbouring countries.

Several trouble spots across the world are simmering. These include Afghanistan, Armenia-Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh, Myanmar, China-Taiwan tension and instability in Latin America with the latest highlight being the criminal gangs making Haiti ungovernable. There is also Somalia, regional conflicts in Ethiopia, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Central African Republic, Nigeria and Sahel countries.

According to the International Crisis Group (ICG), “War has been on the rise since 2012, after a decline in the 1990s and early 2000s. First came conflict in Libya, Syria and Yemen triggered by the 2011 Arab uprisings.” Popularly known as the Arab Spring spread across much of northern Africa, beginning from Tunisia. In its wake, it left countless dead and fallen governments.

In some countries like Libya devastation, instability and breakdown of the country was the outcome.

It remains a problem as the country has become a playing field for extremists making the late Muammar Gadaffi’s autocratic rule enviable. It has also impacted neighbouring countries.

Libya’s instability spilled south, helping set off a protracted crisis in the Sahel region. It opened up a route for weapons boosting the latent rebel groups in the region and also spurring jihadists. This coupled with bad governance, and hard economic and climate conditions has severely impacted the belt.

Several coups in the region can be linked to the crisis in Libya because of the proliferation of arms and they get to the insurgents.

One of the reasons given by the armies for taking power is to remove ineffective and corrupt leaders to fight the rebels. The army took power in Niger last year and in 2022 there were two coups in a space of eight months in Burkina Faso. Also, there were two coups in a space of nine months in Mali, on August 18 and May 24, 2021.

A recent report by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute shows how African countries’ military spending “reached $51.6b in 2023, up by 22% from 2022.” This points to preparations for war or it could fan instability. North African countries spent $28.5b, a 38% increase from 2022. Sub-Sahara’s expenditure grew by 8.9% in 2023 amounting to $23.1b. The big spenders were DRC, Nigeria and South Sudan.

Besides war, the effects of climate change are taking a toll on the world. Last month temperatures soared in several parts of the world to record levels. Schools in some Asian countries were forced to close. The Sahel region in Africa was no different.

From the end of April and the beginning of May, countries are experiencing an avalanche of floods and landslides.

East Africa is being battered and the Middle East too, including Dubai where torrential rains produced rivers that run through the streets and the airport. Worse still several countries have a shortage of food and clean water, poverty is biting and diseases are spreading.

Is the world becoming a dangerous place to live in?

X: @dmukholi1