1. Major armed conflicts

Summary

In 1997, 25 major armed conflicts were waged in 24 locations around the world. This represents a decline in the number of conflicts - there were 27 major armed conflicts in 1996 - and a continued downward trend for the period covered in the conflict statistics, 1989-97. The number of conflict locations remained the same in 1996 and 1997. By the end of 1997, after the re-establishment of the cease-fire in the Northern Ireland conflict, there were no active major armed conflicts in Europe. After the resolution of the conflict in Tajikistan, there were no active major armed conflicts stemming from the breakup of the Soviet Union or Yugoslavia, although the underlying political disputes remain to be resolved.

All the new conflicts in 1997 were on the African continent, and Africa was the only region which showed an increase in the number of conflicts. Africa was also the region with the largest share of conflicts with a high level of intensity, that is, with more than 1000 battle-related deaths in one year.

The conflict between India and Pakistan was the only interstate conflict recorded in 1997, all others being internal. However, as in previous years other states contributed regular troops in some of the recorded conflicts.

Appendix 1A. Major armed conflicts, 1997

MARGARETA SOLLENBERG, RAMSES AMER, CARL JOHAN ÅSBERG, ANN-SOFI JAKOBSSON AND ANDRÉS JATO

Appendix 1A presents data on the major armed conflicts of 1997.