Middle East: When will the wars end?

The Middle East has been a hotbed of conflict for decades, with wars and skirmishes erupting over issues like land, borders and rights. Over the decades, the region has become a complex web of alliances, rivalries, and power struggles, with global powers like the United States, the UK, France, China and Russia pursuing their own interests and agendas. Regional players like Qatar and Turkey have also been vying for influence, with some making efforts to broker peace deals.

- BY ABIODUN KOMO-LAFE

The recent escalation between Israel and Iran has only brought the region to a boiling point, again drawing in global powers. In this volatile landscape, the question of when the wars will end is complex; it is rooted in deep-seated historical and cultural tensions shaped by colonialism, imperialism and arbitrary borders drawn by Western powers.

To understand the ongoing conflicts in the Middle East, it's essential to examine their historical origins. A historical analysis is necessary to contextualize the multitude of conflicts plaguing the region today and determine the factors perpetuating this cycle of violence. The region's complex politics have roots stretching back centuries, predating the Ottoman Empire and the fall of Constantinople, which marked significant turning points.

Right now, and, unlike the era of the Egyptian President Abdel Gamal Nasser, when pan-Arabism fostered regional unity, the Middle East today is characterized by fragmentation. The potent Sheikhs and Emirs, who give priority to their grip on power and strategic alliances with the US, view Iran as a threat to their interests. As such, they are unlikely to support their neighbour, which exemplifies the enduring relevance of the divide-and-rule framework in contemporary Middle Eastern geopolitics.