By Sean Mueck
As the world heads further into 2025, political instability seems to be growing ever more. With an increasingly polarized world shocked by power changes and rife with crises and human rights violations, the world has plunged into unprecedented times. Rising global orders and the shifting of power has been ever more prevalent with the world powers quickly changing and adapting policy to gain a new upperhand. These are the conflicts to keep an eye on in 2025, as they will impact the regional and international stage.
Myanmar
After gaining independence from Britain in 1948, Myanmar has struggled with stable governance over the course of its existence. The most notable recent event was a 2021 coup which ousted elected members from the National League for Democracy. The Tatmadaw, Myanmar’s military, quickly established a junta, and General Min Aung Hlaing ruled the country with an iron fist. Protests quickly spread, and the junta didn’t shy away from using lethal force. It has been estimated that over 600 individuals died when participating in the subsequent protests.
This ruling led to the October 2023 offensive where ethnic rebels launched major attacks against the ruling junta. Fighting has continued ever since, and Myanmar currently stands fractured as different rebel groups all control large swaths of land. Fighting has pushed up to the borders of Thailand, India, and China, and has no quick end in sight.
Naypyidaw has fallen into economic freefall. The United Nations has stated that “the number of displaced people in Myanmar now exceeds 2 million.” As the situation on ground continues to deteriorate, it’s important to pay attention to Myanmar and spread awareness of the grave human rights concerns.
Sudan
Sudan has been locked in a relentless civil war which has recently passed its second year. Conflict began April 15, 2023 between the government backed Sudanese Armed Forces and the rebel Rapid Support Forces. Fighting broke out in the capital city of Khartoum and has led to 12 million citizens being displaced, with over 2 million seeking refuge in the neighboring countries of South Sudan, Ethiopia, Chad, and Eritrea.
The situation has only gotten worse and has plunged the country into turmoil. Sudan is currently facing one of the worst food shortages in the world. After the difficult splitting of its southern neighbor, South Sudan, in the early 2010’s, the situation on the ground for many Sudanese citizens has not gotten better.
The fallout of refugees fleeing the country has already been felt throughout the region as Sudanese citizens searching for safety are quickly overwhelming the current surrounding infrastructure. This conflict will certainly be monitored by both the United States and China, who are currently locked in a battle to exert their influence over the region from their respective military bases in nearby Djibouti.
Haiti
The situation on the ground in Haiti has very quickly devolved after the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse in 2021. Gangs have quickly seized control of most of the country and the capital of Port-au-Prince, where more than 80 percent is under gang control. The United Nations Security Council allowed the creation of a Kenyan led security force, which would operate within the country.
Despite this, gang violence and activity is quickly worsening. Gangs control most aspects of the economy and the political scene. Hundreds of thousands have fled the country in search of refuge in the United States and other nearby countries. The small Caribbean nation is teetering on the edge of civil war as the military and police force are spread extremely thin. An influx of refugees to neighboring countries will only continue as the country faces an uncertain future and a long path back to stability.
As the world is gripped by elections, power changes, and major scale conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza, regional conflicts fly under the radar as the flow of information moves ever quicker. It’s important to keep an eye on regional conflicts and human rights abuses and the threat they pose to the surrounding region. Staying informed is the best way to better understand our ever changing world and our place in it.
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