1) Afghanistan -- civil war between Islamic Taliban religious
militia and ethnic Tajik; sponsors of international terrorism
2) Albania
-- political violence, terrorism, and attacks by Serbia
3) Algeria
-- civil war; increasing anti-government and anti-foreigner
violence by the Armed Islamic Group (GIA), Algerian Jihad, and
others
4) Angola
-- civil war between Angolan troops and UNITA rebels; violence
against foreigners
5) Bosnia-Herzegovina/Croatia
-- Ethnic violence ant terrorism by Serb, Croatian, and Muslim
nationalists; attacks on peacekeeping forces
6) Brazil
-- increased drug activity in the west; high crime rates in
urban areas
7) Burma
(Myanmar) -- ongoing insurgency; drug trafficking and civil
unrest
8) Burundi
-- Hutu - Tutsi violence
9) Cambodia
-- voter intimidation by Khmer Rouge; political and ethnic
turmoil
10) China
-- political turmoil; ethnic and religious oppression in the
northwest
11) Colombia
-- violent political insurgencies by the FARC and ELN; drug
trafficking and associated violence; paramilitary terrorist activities
12) Cuba
-- political violence; terrorism and continued drug trafficking
13) Cyprus
-- Greek vs. Turkish conflict, arrival of Russian missiles raises
tensions; rioting by displaced illegal immigrants
14) Democratic
Republic of the Congo -- civil war, rebels against Kabila's
regime encompassing military involvement from regional military
involvement
15) Ecuador
-- border clashes with Peru; continued drug trafficking
16) Egypt
-- anti-government and anti-foreigner violence by the Muslim
Brotherhood
17) El
Salvador -- increasing criminal activity by former combatants;
continued drug trafficking
18) Eritrea
-- border clashes with Ethiopia
19) Ethiopia
-- border clashes with Eritrea
20) France
-- Political and ethnic turmoil resulting in extensive rioting
21) Georgia
-- fighting between separatist Abkhaz forces and Georgian irregulars;
political dissidence
22) Guatemala
-- re-emerging guerilla threat; rise in vigilantism
23) Guinea-Bissau
-- rebel anti-government violence; military mutiny; military incursion
by Senegal
24) Haiti
-- political violence; drug trafficking and associated violence
25) India
-- insurgency by Muslim separatist guerrillas and Pakistan-based
guerrilla group (Lashkar-e-Tioba); increased border tensions with
Pakistan in the Kashmir region; religious violence by militant
Hindus against Christians and between Hindus and Muslims; political
violence
26) Indonesia
-- religious violence between Christians and Muslims; violent
political unrest and dissident imprisonment; ethnic violence;
27) Iran
-- ethnic, political, and religious violence; terrorist activity
by Iraq-based opposition group (Mojahhedin); border clashes with
Afghanistan Taleban forces;
28) Iraq
-- execution of political prisoners; political unrest; Kurdish
insurgency; Turkish military incursion, combat w/ American and
British Forces
29) Ireland
(including Northern Ireland) -- continuing sectarian violence;
IRA and PIRA terrorism
30) Israel
-- continued violence between Palestinians and Israeli forces
in the Gaza and the West Bank; Wye Peace Accord sparks increased
violence and terrorist bombings by extremist splinter factions
of the PLO; violence between Hezbollah and Israeli forces on Lebanese
border
31) Kenya
-- political turmoil and tribal disputes
32) Lebanon
-- harboring of Iranian Hezbollah and Syrian Fatah terrorist groups,
provoking border violence with Israeli armed forces; political
violence, continued drug trafficking;
33) Lesotho
-- military mutiny; anti-government rebellion, military intervention
by South Africa and Botswana
34) Libya
-- sponsor of international terrorism; Fighting Islamic Group
(FIG) insurgency
35) Malaysia
-- political unrest and anti-government demonstrations; violent
riots due to mass deportations of illegal immigrants
36) Mexico
-- drug trafficking and related violence; ethnic conflict
in Chiapas and Oaxaca by the EZLN; attacks by EPR, election violence
against perspective voters
37) Namibia
-- separatist movement in the Caprivi Strip; repression of ethnic
elements
38) Nicaragua
-- Hurricane Mitch damage causes anarchy and repression( esp.
in NW region); drug trafficking and related violence
39) Nigeria
-- religious and political violence, continued drug trafficking
40) North
Korea -- border incidents with the south, unrest due to famine
41) Pakistan
-- ethnic and religious violence; border dispute with India
over Kashmir region, continued drug trafficking
42) Panama
--- associated violence with continued drug trafficking, incursions
by FARC rebels from Colombia
43) Peru
-- Shining Path guerilla activity; associated violence with continued
drug trafficking; border conflict with Ecuador
44) Philippines
-- border dispute in South China Sea; flare up Muslim insurgents;
political violence during elections
45) Russia
-- political, military, ethnic, and religious turmoil; associated
violence with continued drug trafficking and organized crime
46) Rwanda
-- Hutu - Tutsi ethnic tribal fighting
47) Senegal
-- violence between rebel separatists and Senegalese-backed
government loyalists
48) Sierra
Leone -- temporarily successful coup; continuing clashes between
rebels and government; military intervention by Nigeria
49) Somalia
-- continued violence between rival clans
50) South
Africa -- political assassinations; racial violence; continued
drug related violence
51) South
Korea -- border incidents with the north
52) Sri
Lanka -- continuing ethnic civil war
53) Sudan
-- religious/civil war with Sudanese People's Liberation Army
in the south; sponsors of international terrorism
54) Syria
-- disputes with Turkey over water boundaries and terrorism issues;
sheltering Kurdish rebels ( PPK faction)
55) Tajikistan
-- insurgency by rebel guerrillas who fail to recognize the
1997 peace agreement that ended civil war
56) Turkey
-- Kurdish rebel separatist movement(PPK faction); incursions
into Iraq
57) Uganda
-- violent insurgency by rebel groups
58) United
Kingdom -- continued violence by Irish Republican Army and
splinter groups; continued religious violence between Catholics
and Protestants in Northern Ireland
59) Yemen
-- violent rioting due to government price controls and increases,
attacks on tourists
60) Yugoslavia
(Serbia and Montenegro)-- violent conflict between Serb-dominated
Yugoslav forces and ethnic Albanians in western Kosovo; ethnic
cleansing
*Note
.... *1997 Conflict Count listed Congo (Brazzaville) and Congo
(Kinshasa). 1998 Conflict Count lists Democratic Republic of Congo.
*Burkina Faso had rioting in December over political matters,
yet did not trip the wire to be counted in this report.
The National
Defense Council Foundation(NDCF) compiles this list annually after
reviewing conflicts in over 192 countries. NDCF is a non-profit,
501(c)(3), non-partisan, Think-Tank which studies Defense and
Foreign Affairs issues established in 1978. NDCF is located in
Alexandria,VA. and does academic analysis, runs an Intern Program
and does Refugee Relief in conflict areas( to-date 138 Tons of
medicine and food world-wide in conjunction with its fact-finding
missions). The criteria for selection onto this conflict list
is based on the level of disruption of the socio-economic, political,
and security fabric of each country caused by both internal and
external conflict which the country is associated with. Accordingly,
standardized criteria by a Swedish academic group-- such as 1000
deaths per country -- cannot be applied because of issues such
as the demographics of each country and even size and location.
For 1998,
the conflict count was at 60, a decrease since 1997... which was
67. Prior year's counts are 1996 at 64, 1995 at 71, 1994 at 70,
and 1993 at 62.....with a based line at roughly 35 in 1989( Pre-fall
of Berlin Wall). NDCF senses that energy and proliferation problems
will drive conflicts in 1999
Once again,
the largest cause of this year's total was the continued uni-polar
and vacillating leadership by the United States, illogical and
selective interventions by various groups( to include the U.N.)
and proliferation issues. There is a continuing rise in drug trafficking
world-wide, polluting capitalism and destroying democracies. Furthermore,
media generated raising expectations combined with reduced capabilities
is causing increasing turmoil.
Senior Researcher
Mr. William D. Shingleton (who is now in his Master's program
at Harvard on Sabbatical) devised a comprehensive method of reviewing
countries to be included in this report. At NDCF's Web Site is
a sample of the methodology used.... www.ndcf.org ... should anyone
care for a detailed report for academic purposes, e-mail NDCF
at NDCF@EROLS.COM .
