60% of armed conflicts have been active for at least a decade, with the proliferation and sophistication of non-state groups leaving slim prospects for resolution in 2020, finds the Armed Conflict Survey 2020 (ACS), published today (27 May) by The International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS).
The ACS finds that in 21 of 33 of active armed conflicts across the globe, the number of non-state armed groups involved exceeds the number of state groups. More armed groups are operating with a decentralised chain of command and adapting to new challenges by experimenting with new technologies and exploiting business opportunities, obstructing any hopes of reconciliation and resolve.
While violence and hostilities have started to decrease in the Central African Republic, Sudan, and South Sudan, the conflicts in Libya and the Sahel were marked by an unprecedented level of violence in the past year. These conflicts show no signs of resolution due to the fragmentation of negotiating parties representing different factions, economic interests and agendas, often backed by different international actors.
Covering the key political, military and humanitarian developments in 33 conflicts across six global regions in the past year, the ACS highlights the changing nature of armed groups and emerging trends that characterise their operations.
ACS co-editor Virginia Comolli commented:
‘The work on the ACS has once again highlighted the centrality of non-state groups in twenty-first century conflict. Through expanded profiles and infographics charting some of the most complex relationships among groups we want to help our readers make sense of power dynamics on the ground in rapidly evolving contexts.’
ENDS
Notes to editors
The International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) is a world-leading authority on global security, political risk and military conflict. Founded in 1958, the IISS promotes the development of sound policies that further global peace and security and maintain civilised international relations. The IISS is renowned for its extensive global research and publications.
Other series of publications include: The Military Balance and Military Balance+; the annual assessment of the world’s armed forces and complementary database; the Strategic Dossier Iran’s Networks of Influence in the Middle East; Strategic Survey: The Annual Assessment of Geopolitics; and other seminal work on nuclear deterrence and arms control, as well as emerging geopolitical and geo-economic trends. The IISS is also renowned for its security summits, including the IISS Shangri-La Dialogue (The Asian Regional Security Summit) and IISS Manama Dialogue (The Middle East Regional Security Summit). The IISS has offices in London, Washington DC, Bahrain and Singapore.
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