In today’s society political processes are going through significant transformations, and more often than not these changes bring only worry. Beginning with the Taliban regaining control in Afghanistan to the political crisis in Bangladesh continuing war in Syria, and increasing tensions in South Korea, the world is seeing a series of unsettling events which could have serious consequences for global peace and security. As different beyond their contexts and origins, these events are characterized by unforeseeable uncertainty that redraws regional and global politics.

Therefore, what takes place in these regions has established a capability to influence not only the countries within such a region but the world at large. The recent and perhaps the most eye-popping of these events has borne fruit in August 2021 through the Taliban’s capture of Afghanistan. The fast collapse of the Afghan government in the wake of more than eighteen years of strife and a protracted with the support of US and NATO forces again came as a shock to the world.

The Taliban’s return in Afghanistan threatens progress on women’s rights and regional security, with implications for neighboring countries.

Currently, the state has no functioning institutions and the foreign forces that were present in Afghanistan withdrew hastily leaving no space for politics to be formed but for the Taliban. This political turnaround poses a threat to the progress this country has achieved in the last twenty years, especially on women’s issues and education. This has generated deep skepticism, not only for the population of Afghanistan, especially the female population and girls but also for the further development of the rest of the South Asian states.

Many people feel that repercussion of the Taliban’s gains is no longer confined to Afghanistan only. Easy vulnerability to neighboring countries influenced the country’s strategic importance for great powers such as Pakistan, China, Iran, and Central Asian states. Some people have concerns that Afghanistan could again become a Source of instability, not only international terrorism, which has not disappeared, including Al Qaeda, but other groups that could destabilize neighboring countries. The Taliban’s rise has ramifications for counterterrorism around the world, and the international community is largely still unclear about how, if at all, to approach the Taliban government and provide security.

For countries such as India which has a long porous border with Afghanistan, this is a problem in managing security while at the same time having to factor in the unpredictable political situation in Afghanistan. At the same time, once quite stable in the context of South Asia Bangladesh, is experiencing an increase in political instability. The country has long been governed by the Awami League, which has been in power for more than a decade now.

However, the recent elections in the country have been characterized by bribery and vote rigging, poll-related violence, and persecution of opposition. Though the fundamental problem exists in the political system of Bangladesh, other political issues include economic instabilities such as rising inflation rate, unemployment rate, etc which leads to protests and unrest. The challenge of political stability and democracy is worsening daily by the fact that there is increased political rivalry between the ruling party and the opposition. This situation if not managed could destabilize Bangladesh internally and regionally affecting mainly India with which Bangladesh shares most of its boundary and has vibrant economic relations.

Political instability in Bangladesh, fueled by economic struggles and electoral violence, risks regional destabilization.

The Syrian civil war which was launched a little more than ten years ago continues to rage and is considered one of the most intricate ones. Since the beginning of the war, more than half of the Syrian population has left the country becoming the largest refugee crisis in the world. This war has involved several foreign powers and all of them act for their purposes. Russia supports the Syrian regime while Iran and Hezbollah blatantly support President Bashar al-Assad. However, America and several other Western countries have supported the opposition này.

It also saw the rise of groups like ISIS which completely changed the structure of Middle East politics. The sectarian and political fragmentation of the powerful Syrian state has become the source of the regional instability. Turkey and Israel share the same perception of the conflict as a security issue and as a diplomatic problem that threatens to destabilize the entire region.

A rise in the numeracy of the groups and expansion of militant organizations have however deepened insecurity, making insecurity more probable in the region. In this regard, Bashar al-Assad under so much pressure to be removed from power has run to Russia to seek refuge leaving the government in the hands of other factions fighting to gain control. This political change has added to the complexity of the power struggle as factions implicitly attempt to establish they are in charge almost in the absence of Assad. These factions may find safe havens in Syria and this may bring new instabilities into the region.

The Syrian civil war continues to fragment the region, worsening sectarian divides and involving global powers like Russia, Iran, and the U.S.

And in East Asia, tensions on the Korean Peninsula are rising. So far, North Korea has insisted on possessing nuclear weapons and has often conducted several missile tests, which raises concerns among countries worldwide. It has long been real that the situation on the Korean Peninsula has been tense, but the recent changes indicate that the conflict is becoming more dangerous. The current activity of North Korea is increasing military responses from South Korea and the United States, which increases the level of military aggression. The probability of a classic war remains low, yet without a shadow of a doubt, full-scale hostilities would bring utter destruction not only to the Middle East but to the entire world.

Another peculiar situation, that worsens the quality of life significantly, is the risk of a nuclear war in South Korea. Activities such as missile tests and the work being undertaken on nuclear warheads have given rise to the impression that North Korea is likely to pose a direct threat to the US in the future. In trying to address the nuclear issue midwifed by North Korea, the international community has adopted several diplomatic measures but to a greater extent, none has succeeded. With both America and China harbouring an interest in the region this state of affairs is rather balanced. Each strike could lead to disastrous consequences, and the whole world is still thinking about how it can effectively respond to the intelligence of North Korea without causing war.

North Korea’s nuclear ambitions and missile tests escalate tensions, increasing military responses from South Korea and the U.S.

Finally, the political dynamics that we observed in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Syria, and South Korea cannot be analyzed without reference to major trends taking place around the world. These regions are not in a vacuum; their instability has come with consequent politico-sectarian destabilization of neighboring countries and distant world powers. Modern society is becoming more unpredictable due to the ill-democratic governmental systems, the collapse of democracy, and terror-related ideologies.

This is quite a dangerous position for the world as it meaningfully announces the future of local warfare, economic crisis, and the degradation of international law. The world needs to wake up to these changes now more than ever because the risks have ascended to new heights. It is necessary to cooperate on the international level and act wisely with other countries if we don’t want escalation to occur and all countries get to the edge of the cliff.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author. They do not represent the views, beliefs, or policies of the Stratheia.