Wars and Conflict | Council on Foreign Relations

Sub-Saharan Africa

Africa’s Multiple Security Crises

Across the continent, ill-conceived security arrangements are having unintended consequences

Blog Post by Michelle Gavin August 7, 2023 Africa in Transition
Sudan

The President’s Inbox Recap: Sudan’s Civil War

The deadly conflict in Sudan has displaced millions and could roil the region.

Blog Post by Michelle Kurilla July 27, 2023 The Water's Edge
International Law

The United States Should Ratify the Rome Statute

(Editor’s note: This article is part of a joint symposium hosted by Just Security and Articles of War. The symposium addresses topics discussed at a workshop held at The George Washington University …

Article by David J. Scheffer July 19, 2023 International Institutions and Global Governance Program

Taiwan

Taiwan, China, and the Threat of War

A small island one hundred miles off the coast of China could be the flashpoint that determines the future of great-power competition. Experts increasingly warn that a Chinese invasion of Taiwan would be globally catastrophic, regardless of its success or if the United States intervenes. How concerned should Americans be?

Podcast with Gabrielle Sierra , David Sacks and James Lin July 13, 2023 Why It Matters
Nigeria

Nigeria Security Tracker

The Council on Foreign Relations' Nigeria Security Tracker was an effort to catalog and map political violence based on a weekly survey of Nigerian and international press. The last update to the tracker was July 1, 2023. The data presented included violent incidents related to political, economic, and social grievances directed at the state or other affiliated groups (or, conversely, the state employing violence to respond to those incidents.)

Tracker by Michelle Gavin July 1, 2023 Africa Program
Sudan

Seeking Urgency on Sudan

Sudan’s crisis is deepening, and the international response is utterly inadequate.

Blog Post by Michelle Gavin June 15, 2023 Africa Program

Ukraine

How Bad Is Ukraine’s Humanitarian Crisis a Year Later?

A year after Russia’s invasion, Ukraine is suffering a catastrophic humanitarian crisis. The outflow of millions of refugees has placed a strain on neighboring countries.

In Brief by Diana Roy June 8, 2023
Religion

2023 Religion and Foreign Policy Workshop

Event with R. Scott Appleby, Esther Brimmer , Sarah Cook, Susan H. Farbstein, Marc Gopin, Thomas Graham , Lauren Herzer Risi, James F. Jeffrey, Mohamed Magid, Katherine Marshall, Patricia Parera, Orville Hickok Schell, Melanne Verveer, Caitlin Welsh, Mayfair Yang, Mark E. Fowler, James B. Heimowitz, Terrence L. Johnson, Shannon K. O'Neil , Akila Radhakrishnan and Somini Sengupta May 16, 2023
Sudan

Sudan’s Two Truths

Amidst a flurry of international voices working to mediate the crisis in Sudan, the United States must not allow Sudanese civil society to be drowned out.

Blog Post by Michelle Gavin May 10, 2023 Africa Program
Nuclear Weapons

A New Nuclear Age

Before the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the possibility of nuclear war felt like a problem of days past. Now, as great-power competition heats up, the potential for nuclear conflict seems higher than at any point in decades. How did the nuclear taboo fade, and what does nuclear proliferation mean for the United States?

Podcast with Gabrielle Sierra , J. Andrés Gannon and Rupal N. Mehta May 10, 2023 Why It Matters
Conflict Prevention

Women’s Participation in Peace Processes

Peace negotiators often overlook a proven strategy to reduce conflict and advance stability: include women.

Interactive by Ann Norris , Jamille Bigio, Rachel B. Vogelstein, Alexandra Bro and Anne Connell May 5, 2023 Women and Foreign Policy Program
Ethiopia

Ethiopia's Mixed Signals

International re-engagement and new peace talks point in a positive direction, but multiple indicators point to fragility and risk.

Blog Post by Michelle Gavin May 3, 2023 Africa in Transition
Middle East and North Africa

Yemen’s Tragedy: War, Stalemate, and Suffering

Yemen’s internal divisions and a Saudi-led military intervention have spawned an intractable political, military, and humanitarian crisis.

Backgrounder by Kali Robinson May 1, 2023
Sudan

Sudan in Crisis

Amid protracted conflict in Sudan, the United States should work to lower the temperature amongst external actors, and support Sudanese citizens, who remain steadfast in their aspirations for a civilian-led government.

Blog Post by Michelle Gavin April 20, 2023 Africa Program
Iraq War

Lessons From History Series: The U.S. Invasion of Iraq—Twenty Years Later

Panelists discuss lessons learned from the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq, including the circumstances that led to Operation Iraqi Freedom and whether it was a necessary war, as well as the ramifications of the resulting war for U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East. The Lessons From History Series uses historical analysis as a critical tool for understanding modern foreign policy challenges by hearing from practitioners who played an important role in a consequential historical event or from experts and historians. This series is made possible through the generous support of David M. Rubenstein.

Virtual Event by Lisa Anderson, Melvyn P. Leffler, Philip D. Zelikow and Lara Setrakian March 27, 2023 Lessons From History