The world is a ticking bomb
It is like the world today is dealing with a perfect storm. Eroded trust in government, new defense technologies that make it easier to wage war, economic inequality driven by inflation, climate stress, propaganda across social media, the global diplomacy sidelined by the return of great power rivalries, and accelerating global polarization are converging to create severe turbulence.
While I was searching online, I found an article that addressed ten potential conflicts with a risk of escalation. Here are those 10 picks and how these risks have been managed as of today, 2025.
▪Gaza and the Middle East
Hamas attacked Israel in 2023. Soon after, Israel launched a military campaign in Gaza to hit back. More than 20,000 people have been killed, but it doesn’t seem like the war will reach its end anytime soon. If it is prolonged, there’s a high risk that the conflict will turn into a full-scale war throughout the region when the groups that are hostile to Israel decide to join the fight.
▪Ukraine
In 2022, Russia shocked the world by invading Ukraine. More than 3 years have passed, but heavy fighting still continues. The US’s new administration is trying to play the lead by negotiating a way out. However, neither Russia nor Ukraine is ready to put down the weapon.
▪Sudan
A power transition from the military to civilians turned into a complete failure. Sudan is struggling with an endless civil war that has resulted in thousands of deaths and millions of people being displaced. In Sudan, even the highest-ranking officials are not safe from hostile attacks.
▪Myanmar
Since the coup in 2021, Myanmar has been experiencing intense, often violent, conflicts between the army and pro-democracy forces.
▪Ethiopia
Ethiopia suffered a civil war from 2020 to 2022. Although the war officially ended, it left nearly a million casualties and three million refugees. The country is on recovery, but it will take a while for it to rebuild its economy and national unity.
▪Sahel region (Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso)
All of them are suffering from political instability that has led to coups and civil wars.
▪Haiti
Since gangs assassinated President Jovenel Moise, the country has been suffering a political crisis and is without a stable government as gangs seized control over most of the country.
▪Iran
The US-Iran tensions are still high. There hasn’t been direct confrontation yet, but the risk still remains as the Gaza conflict could potentially escalate the tension.
▪North Korea
North Korea is making stronger ties with Russia. North Korea even sent its troops to the front lines facing Ukraine.
▪Taiwan
The US-China rivalry continues to deepen, and many people believe that Taiwan will be where the endgame will be held.
Unfortunately, all these 10 conflicts addressed in 200 have not only persisted but have dramatically intensified. Did we lose skills to solve conflicts peacefully? We are witnessing a herald of a new age, and it doesn’t look so pretty.
