Context
- Amnesty International has alleged that the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) committed ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity during attacks on El-Fasher in Sudan between 2024 and 2025.
- A leading conflict monitor has reported that over 100,000 people have been killed in Myanmar since the 2021 military coup, highlighting the worsening humanitarian crisis.
Sudan Crisis: Key Highlights
- Amnesty International alleged that the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) committed ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity.
- The alleged atrocities occurred during attacks on El-Fasher, the capital of North Darfur State.
- The attacks reportedly targeted settlements inhabited by the Zaghawa ethnic community.
- Sudan has been witnessing an armed conflict since April 2023 between:
- Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF)
- Rapid Support Forces (RSF)
- The conflict has triggered one of the world’s largest humanitarian crises.
Myanmar Crisis: Key Highlights
- A conflict monitoring group estimates that over 100,000 people have been killed since the 2021 military coup.
- The military seized power on 1 February 2021, overthrowing the elected civilian government.
- The coup triggered nationwide protests, armed resistance, and a prolonged civil conflict.
- Violence has displaced millions and caused widespread humanitarian suffering.
Sudan: Important key Facts
- Capital: Khartoum
- Region: Northeast Africa
- Borders: Egypt, Libya, Chad, Central African Republic, South Sudan, Ethiopia, Eritrea
- Sea Border: Red Sea
- Important Rivers: White Nile and Blue Nile meet at Khartoum.
- Deserts: The Libyan Desert and the Nubian Desert dominate the northern landscapes.
- Mountains: Sudan’s highest peak is the Deriba Caldera. It is located in the Marrah Mountains in the Darfur region of western Sudan.
- Gezira Plain: The Gezira Plain is a massive, flat farming region in Sudan, located south of Khartoum between the Blue Nile and White Nile rivers.
- Important Cities in News: El-Fasher, Wad Madani, Kadugli & Dilling, Babanusa, El Geneina
Myanmar: Important Key Facts
- Capital: Naypyidaw
- Largest City: Yangon
- Borders: India, Bangladesh, China, Laos, Thailand
- Water Bodies: Bay of Bengal and Andaman Sea
- Major Rivers: Irrawaddy (Ayeyarwady), Chindwin, Sittang and Salween
- Major mountain ranges: Rakhine Mountains, Shan Plateau, Dawna Range, Tenasserim Mountains etc.
- Sittwe Port & The Kaladan Project: Located on the western coast in Rakhine State, the strategic city of Sittwe hosts the India-developed Sittwe Port. This port is the anchor of the Kaladan Multi-Modal Transit Transport Project (KMMTTP), designed to connect Kolkata port directly to Mizoram via Myanmar, bypassing the vulnerable Siliguri Corridor (“Chicken’s Neck”).
- Other Important Places in News: Mandalay (major cultural city), Rakhine State–Maungdaw (Rohingya crisis and Bangladesh border), Kachin State–Myitsone (China-backed dam project), and Shan State (ethnic conflict and drug trafficking).
Consider the following pairs:
Area of conflict mentioned in news Country where it is located
1. Donbas : Syria
2. Kachin : Ethiopia
3. Tigray : North Yemen
How many of the above pairs are correctly matched?
(a) Only one
(b) Only two
(c) All three
(d) None
Answer: D
Explanation:
Explanation of the Pairs:
• 1. Donbas — Incorrectly Matched
o Correct Location: Ukraine
o Context: The Donbas region (comprising Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts) is an industrial region in eastern Ukraine that has been a major zone of conflict since 2014, escalating significantly with the 2022 Russian invasion.
• 2. Kachin — Incorrectly Matched
o Correct Location: Myanmar
o Context: Kachin State is the northernmost state of Myanmar, bordered by China and India. It is a long-standing conflict zone involving the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) fighting against the Myanmar military (Tatmadaw).
• 3. Tigray — Incorrectly Matched
o Correct Location: Ethiopia
o Context: The Tigray Region is the northernmost regional state of Ethiopia. It was the center of a severe civil war between the Ethiopian federal government and the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) from 2020 to 2022, with lingering humanitarian impacts.