UPSC CSE Prelims
Regional Conflicts and Crises Previous Year Questions (PYQs)

Detailed Explanation:

Answer: Option 4 — Successful coups

Chad, Guinea, Mali, and Sudan have all experienced successful military coups in recent years, making this the common factor drawing international attention. Chad witnessed a military takeover in 2021 following the death of President Idriss Déby, Guinea experienced a coup in September 2021 overthrowing President Alpha Condé, Mali faced two coups (in August 2020 and May 2021), and Sudan underwent a military coup in April 2019 that ousted President Omar al-Bashir, followed by another in October 2021. These military takeovers have raised significant concerns about democratic backsliding, political instability, human rights violations, and regional security in Africa.

📝 Short Notes: Recent Military Coups in Africa

• Regional Impact: These coups reflect broader democratic challenges in Africa's Sahel and Sub-Saharan regions
• International Response: African Union, ECOWAS, and UN condemned these military takeovers and imposed sanctions
• Common Factors: Corruption, economic mismanagement, security concerns, and disputed elections preceded most coups
• Democracy Concerns: Wave of coups represents significant setback for democratic governance in Africa

Detailed Explanation:

Answer: Option 4 — None

None of the given pairs are correctly matched. All three pairs incorrectly associate regions with conflicts or disputes they are not related to.

❌ Pair 1 – Incorrect: North Kivu and Ituri are provinces in the Democratic Republic of Congo facing ethnic conflicts and insurgency, not related to the Armenia-Azerbaijan war.

❌ Pair 2 – Incorrect: Nagorno-Karabakh is the disputed region between Armenia and Azerbaijan, not related to the insurgency in Mozambique (which occurs in Cabo Delgado province).

❌ Pair 3 – Incorrect: Kherson and Zaporizhzhia are regions in Ukraine that have been focal points in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, not related to any dispute between Israel and Lebanon.

📝 Short Notes: Recent Global Conflict Zones

Detailed Explanation:

Answer: Option 4 — None

None of the given pairs are correctly matched. All three conflict zones have been incorrectly paired with wrong countries.

❌ Pair 1 – Incorrect: Donbas is located in eastern Ukraine (not Syria). It has been the epicenter of conflict between Ukrainian forces and Russian-backed separatists since 2014, comprising the Donetsk and Luhansk regions.

❌ Pair 2 – Incorrect: Kachin is a state in northern Myanmar (not Ethiopia). The Kachin Independence Army (KIA) has been engaged in a long-standing armed conflict with the Myanmar military for ethnic autonomy and control of natural resources.

❌ Pair 3 – Incorrect: Tigray is the northernmost region of Ethiopia (not North Yemen). Since November 2020, it has witnessed a devastating civil war involving the Ethiopian federal government, the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), and Eritrean forces.

Detailed Explanation:

Answer: Option 3 — Only three pairs

This question tests knowledge of recent international developments. Out of the four pairs, three are correctly matched while the first pair about Chad is incorrect as China has not established a permanent military base there.

✅ Pair 1 – Incorrect: China has not set up any permanent military base in Chad. China's only overseas military base is in Djibouti.

✅ Pair 2 – Correct: Guinea witnessed a military coup in September 2021 where special forces captured President Alpha Conde and suspended the constitution and dissolved the government.

✅ Pair 3 – Correct: Lebanon has been experiencing a severe and prolonged economic depression since 2019, caused by political instability, corruption, and lack of reforms, affecting approximately 74% of the population.

✅ Pair 4 – Correct: Tunisian President Kais Saied suspended parliament in July 2021 and later dissolved it in March 2022 after lawmakers held an online session to repeal his decrees, which he termed a failed coup attempt.

Detailed Explanation:

Answer: Option 2 — China and Japan engage in maritime disputes over these islands in East China Sea

The Senkaku Islands (called Diaoyu in China) are a group of uninhabited islands in the East China Sea that are at the center of a territorial dispute between Japan and China. Japan has administered these islands since 1972, but China also claims sovereignty over them, leading to ongoing maritime tensions between the two countries.

❌ Option 1 – Incorrect: The Senkaku Islands are natural islands in the East China Sea, not artificial islands in the South China Sea.
✅ Option 2 – Correct: This accurately describes the Japan-China territorial dispute over these islands in the East China Sea.
❌ Option 3 – Incorrect: There is no permanent American military base on the Senkaku Islands; they are uninhabited.
❌ Option 4 – Incorrect: The ICJ has not declared them as no man's land, and Southeast Asian countries are not claimants to these islands.

📝 Short Notes: Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands Dispute

• Location: East China Sea, approximately 120 nautical miles northeast of Taiwan
• Japanese name: Senkaku Islands; Chinese name: Diaoyu Islands
• Status: Group of 8 uninhabited islands and rocks covering about 7 sq km
• Current administration: Japan (since 1972, following reversion from US control)
• Dispute parties: Japan, China, and Taiwan all claim sovereignty
• Strategic importance: Located near important shipping lanes, rich fishing grounds, and potential oil and gas reserves
• Recent tensions: Frequent incursions by Chinese coast guard vessels into waters around the islands have increased since Japan's nationalization of three islands in 2012

Detailed Explanation:

Answer: Option 4 — Yemen and South Sudan

Yemen and South Sudan have experienced severe humanitarian crises with lakhs of people suffering from acute malnutrition and starvation due to prolonged armed conflicts. In Yemen, the civil war beginning in 2014 and the subsequent Saudi-led coalition intervention against Houthi rebels created a catastrophic humanitarian situation, with blockades restricting food and medical supplies leading to widespread famine conditions. In South Sudan, the civil war that erupted in 2013 between government and opposition forces displaced millions, disrupted agriculture, and led to the UN declaring famine in parts of the country in February 2017, making it the first famine declared anywhere in six years.

The other options do not match the severity and recency described in the question. Angola and Zambia have not faced such crises recently; Morocco and Tunisia have been relatively stable; Venezuela has faced economic collapse and food shortages, but Colombia has not experienced similar war-induced famine conditions.

Detailed Explanation:

Answer: Option 3 — 1 and 3 only

This question tests the geographical knowledge of regions that frequently appear in international news. Only pairs 1 and 3 are correctly matched, while Crimea belongs to Ukraine (not Hungary) and Oromia belongs to Ethiopia (not Nigeria).

✅ Pair 1 – Correct: Catalonia is an autonomous community in northeastern Spain, known for its independence movement and distinct cultural identity.

❌ Pair 2 – Incorrect: Crimea is a peninsula on the Black Sea coast, internationally recognized as part of Ukraine (annexed by Russia in 2014), not Hungary.

✅ Pair 3 – Correct: Mindanao is the second-largest island in the Philippines, frequently in news due to the Bangsamoro peace process and security issues.

❌ Pair 4 – Incorrect: Oromia is the largest regional state in Ethiopia (home to the Oromo people), not Nigeria.

📝 Short Notes: Regions in International News

Detailed Explanation:

Answer: Option 2 — 1 and 4

This question tests the knowledge of geographical locations of towns that have been in the news due to conflicts and geopolitical developments. Among the given pairs, only Aleppo (Syria) and Mazar-i-Sharif (Afghanistan) are correctly matched with their respective countries.

✅ Pair 1 – Correct: Aleppo is indeed a major city in Syria, which has been extensively covered in news due to the Syrian Civil War.

❌ Pair 2 – Incorrect: Kirkuk is located in Iraq (not Yemen); it is an important oil-rich city in northern Iraq.

❌ Pair 3 – Incorrect: Mosul is located in Iraq (not Palestine); it was prominently in news as an ISIS stronghold until its liberation.

✅ Pair 4 – Correct: Mazar-i-Sharif is a major city in northern Afghanistan, near the Uzbekistan border.

📝 Short Notes: Conflict Zones in West Asia and Afghanistan

Detailed Explanation:

Answer: Option 3 — 2 and 3

❌ Pair 1 – Kurd: Bangladesh – Incorrect: Kurds are a distinct ethnic group primarily inhabiting regions across Turkey, Iraq, Iran, and Syria. They have no significant presence in Bangladesh and are not associated with its affairs.

✅ Pair 2 – Madhesi: Nepal – Correct: Madhesis are Indo-Aryan communities residing in the Terai plains of southern Nepal. They have been politically active, often demanding greater representation and rights in Nepal's governance.

✅ Pair 3 – Rohingya: Myanmar – Correct: Rohingyas are a persecuted Muslim minority in Myanmar's Rakhine State. They have been in international news due to severe human rights violations and forced displacement to Bangladesh.

Detailed Explanation:

✅ Pair 1 – Correct: Chechnya is a republic in the North Caucasus region of the Russian Federation.
❌ Pair 2 – Incorrect: Darfur is a region in western Sudan, not Mali.
❌ Pair 3 – Incorrect: Swat Valley is in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan, not Iraq.