Trends and Reasons in Non-State Conflict over the Past Years - Research Paper Example

There are ethnic rivalries, which are resolved in just a matter of two to five years, like those of Benin (1963-1965) and Congo-Kinshasa (1960-1965) (Political Instability Task Force).

Citizen-to-government tensions happen in militaristic states. Often, the civilians consider the government as oppressive, the reason why they fight against it. In other instances, the military rules the state after conducting a successful coup d'é•tat. History is replete with examples such as what happened in Afghanistan in 1978 and Argentina in 1966 (Political Instability Task Force).

Political parties’ competition is evident based on historical accounts. Compared to ethnic rivalries and citizen-to-government tensions, this type of non-state conflict is continuous, from 1955 until now. Nevertheless, it is only apparent in states which are not yet completely democratic like Benin and Congo-Kinshasa (Political Instability Task Force).
Significantly, from the year 1946 up to 2005, the internal armed conflict has decreased (Williams 159). From 2002 until 2005, battle-death internal conflicts have declined by about seventy percent (Williams 159). However, if the years 1946 and 2004 will be compared, there is a higher incident of non-state armed conflict in the latter year (Williams 159).
Reasons

Ethnic rivalries are recurring as ethnic groups want to preserve their identity and existence from generation to generation. There are times when they need to bear arms just to maintain society’s recognition. In some other situations, they have to compete for power and authority. This goes to say that power struggle is evident in ethnic groups. This struggle turns into conflict when politics and religion join into the picture. If the government is not committed to providing a solution, this conflict persists.

It is understandable why citizen-to-government tensions occur in states governed by the military. Often, this kind of government is strict and autocratic, the reason why the citizens could feel dissatisfied and oppressed (Art and Waltz 3). Since the one, which has power and authority, is the military, there is no other recourse but to unite and fight. The citizens, in this instance, are clamoring for a democratic type of governance.

Just like the ethnic groups, political parties also compete for power in society. This is happening now and then as political beliefs are divided. There are those who support democracy, while there are some who advance communism. As this division continues, political upheavals likewise persist. In another aspect, political groups also differ in their religious motivations. Relevantly, there are political parties, which are against Islamic beliefs. As these groups remain committed to their goal of debunking Islamic beliefs, political rivalries will continue to emerge.

Non-state armed conflicts have declined because of international principles and organizations. For instance, the creation of the United Nations has effectively prevented ethnic and political rivalries in some countries to get worst. The international regulation of discouraging offensive defense has considerably guided the countries in times of an armed attack.