The War Count
Unfortunately, the increased security in Baghdad and al-Anbar province was not always mirrored elsewhere. As 2008 began, the Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL) registered one less significant ongoing armed conflict (1,000 or more deaths) than at the start of 2007 and nearly the same 21 “hot spots” that could slide into or revert to serious violence.
The geographic distribution of significant conflicts also remained unchanged. As at the start of 2008, Africa continues to endure the largest number of significant armed conflicts – fully one-third of the total. Asia still counts four significant conflicts, although the fall-off of clashes in two “hot spots” during 2007 suggests that these opposition groups have decided to work within the political systems or they have effectively disbanded.
Rather than start, as in the past, with details of the U.S. wars, this year’s report opens with the transfer of what had been the sole major “European” conflict from the ‘Significant” to the “Suspended” conflict category.
