Current Wars in Africa (August, 2023)

Africa is a continent that has, as a whole, seen little peace.  From the anti-colonial Wars of Independence in the 1950s through the 1970s, to the continual ethnic conflicts and many internal wars sparked by coups and power-hungry dictators, many nations in Africa have a history of wars. In this article, we look at the current wars of Africa as of August, 2023.

This year is no different, sadly.  The recent military coup in Niger is an example of this problem.  Since throwing off French colonial rule in the 1960s, Niger has only had one true freely elected leader in her short history, and he was overthrown in July, 2023 in a military coup. This comes amid an ongoing war against Jihadist forces that threaten the entire Sahel region. ISIS and al-Qaida insurgents plague all the nations of the region, and most of these countries have accepted aid from France, the United States, and other Western nations.

Since the coup in Niger, the regional group called ECOWAS, led by Nigeria, has threatened armed intervention to oust the new military junta in Niger. Other nations, (led by military dictators themselves), including Mali and Algeria, have threatened action if ECOWAS attacks Niger.

Also, at this time, a very bloody civil war is continuing in Sudan, as rival military factions battle for control since fighting began in April, 2023.  Thousands have died, and as Sudan slips into chaos, old ethnic and religious tensions are renewed, as we see in atrocities committed in the Sudanese region of Darfur.

In Ethiopia, a violent war in the Tigray region is winding down, but the central government is now in conflict with Amhara ethnic militias, as that once relatively stable nation spirals out of control.

Somalia continues to deal with the old al-Shabbab Jihadist insurgency, with aid from neighboring nations, in particular, Kenya.

The Democratic Republic of Congo (Kinshasa) continues to endure several regional rebellions, again with aid from neighbors, including Uganda and Burundi.

Mozambique is a hotspot, with a newly resurgent Jihadist insurgency in Mozambique’s  northern provinces. 

Several of these conflicts, including Mozambique, Mali, Niger, Sudan, and some, such as the Libyan Civil War (that appears to be over), have attracted much outside interest. The Russian Wagner Mercenary group has been involved in many of these, with the dual purpose of advancing Moscow’s influence and making money off of contracts with African dictators and exploiting African natural resources.

Several other African nations have conflicts dealing with long-running lower-level insurgencies and criminal cartel activity, with Western nations in particular involved in combating Jihadist activity across the continent.

The big question at this point (August 19, 2023) is how the tension around the Niger coup will play out. Will ECOWAS invade? Will France and America aid them? And what happens if other African states intervene to defend the Niger junta?  

Africa has not suffered a major regional war since the Congo War of the late 1990s and early 2000s. A new major war would be in no one’s interest.