World in Flames: When War Becomes the Norm

We had believed that the 21st century would be the one of peace. Global trade, dialog between civilizations, international institutions that regulate and soothe. That world no longer exists. Maybe it never really existed.

According to the latest reports from the International Committee of the Red Cross and the Oslo Peace Research Institute, more than 130 armed conflicts were recorded worldwide in 2025 — more than double the number 15 years ago. Nearly fifty of these conflicts are taking place on the African continent alone. One hundred and thirty conflicts. Simultaneously. On the same planet. Radio-Canada

Fighting continued in Ukraine, Sudan, Myanmar, and the Sahel. A gunfire exchange between India and Pakistan has brought tensions to an unprecedented level in several decades. Thailand and Cambodia have clashed along their border. And in Congo, Rwanda has effectively annexd two entire provinces thru allied rebel forces. While televisions focus on a few conflicts, dozens of others bleed in total indifference. Groupe de crise

In a context of reshaping the global order, few belligerents are inclined to agree to lasting compromises. Donald Trump's overt revisionism is more dangerous than the hypocrisy of his predecessors: the fundamental principles of the post-war legal order cannot endure without the United States' adherence. Crisis Group

This is where we stand. International law is crumbling. Multilateral institutions are paralyzed. The great powers play their own games, to the detriment of the peoples who pay the price. Sudan bleeds in silence, Gaza burns under intermittent spotlights, Ukraine resists with the means it is graciously allowed to have.

This world in flames is not a fatality. It is the result of political choices, economic interests, and collective cowardice. And as long as we accept it as a normal backdrop to our daily lives, nothing will change.