2011 & Beyond: Middle-East and Africa

Taking stock of 2011 provides a looking glass into what will shape 2012. The Epoch Times recaps pivotal moments and movements around the globe that are sure to make the headlines again in the coming year.

IRAQ: Unresolved Conflicts May Resurface

With the departure of U.S. troops at the end of 2011, unresolved issues may surface. One is the risk of sectarian violence. The western, Sunni-dominated provinces, home to Saddam Hussein’s Baathist power base, feeling stigmatized and restricted, are seeking more autonomy. Another is that old border issues with Kuwait may erupt, as the countries accuse each other of trying to get more than their fair share out of the rich oil fields in the area.

AFGHANISTAN: Uncertainty as 2014 Approaches

In Afghanistan, the faltering peace process and how to deal with the Taliban will be in focus during 2012. Meanwhile, ethnic tensions are on the rise, and relations with crucial regional player Pakistan have deteriorated. In May, Chicago will host the next conference to chart the country’s course after 2014, when international troops pull out and the next presidential elections are held. But the disappointments of this year’s conferences in Istanbul and Bonn, as well as a surge in attacks against high-profile targets in Afghanistan, have lowered earlier expectations.

AFRICA: Food Crisis Risks Spreading

By mid-2011, roughly 13 million people in the Horn of Africa were short of food due to drought, escalating food prices, and conflict. Somalia was worst hit, leaving tens of thousands dead and 270,000 displaced. Rains have now come bringing floods and disease. Meanwhile, al-Shabab militants in southern Somalia are preventing aid from reaching 3 million vulnerable people. For six months, aid organizations had warned of mass famine, but help came too slowly. A similar alarm is now being sounded for West Africa. Without immediately stockpiling food, funds, and relief supplies, the results could be catastrophic.