The military and diplomatic intervention of regional and global powers in the Syrian war and the failure to restore peace and security in the Middle East

Abstract

This paper titled “the military and diplomatic interventions of regional and global powers in the Syrian war and the failure to restore peace and security in the middle east between 2011 and 2018” examined the armed conflict in Syria that began in 2011 in the wave of popular protests and uprising seeking political and economic change from the authoritarian government of President Bashar Al-Assad. However, Syria degenerated into full scale civil war in 2012. These developments made Syria to appear as a theatre of two significant challenges: the influx of foreign fighters seeking to join various parties in the war and global involvement in multiple power struggles between both regional and international influences. The Syrian civil war has protracted resulting in wanton destruction of lives and property as well as heavy shipments, transfers and exchange of weapons and ammunition among rebel fighters. All of these have culminated into the attendant insecurity that pervades the entire Middle East. Anchored on the Regional Security Complex Theory (RSCT), the researcher adopted the documentary method as well as time series research design in carrying out the study. Findings in the study revealed that military and diplomatic interventions of regional and global powers in the Syrian civil war undermined peace and security in the Middle East. The international actors violated series of Syrian peace agreements (including LIN Security Council Resolution 2254; Geneva I-VII, Astana 1-VI; Russia –Turkey ceasefire; Four de-escalation zone pact, etc). Increased hostilities resulted to death toll of over 465,000, one million injured and over twelve million Syrians internally displaced. Syrian refuges scattered in the Middle East countries rose significantly from 21,533 in 2010 to 4,857,617 in 2016. The study, therefore, recommended resolution for ceasefire at the level of UN Security Council, disbandment of various rebel groups fighting in Syria, prosecution of war criminals as well as entrenchment of democratic culture in Syria. The study further contributed to the existing body of knowledge by establishing the empirical linkages between the Syrian war and the rising insecurity in the Middle East which has become a source for concern to the global community.