Editing 2003 (section)

== Conflicts ==
{{Further|Category:Conflicts in 2003}}
There were 29 armed conflicts affecting 22 countries in 2003. This was a net decrease from 31 conflicts in 2002.<ref name=":4">{{Cite journal |last1=Eriksson |first1=Mikael |last2=Wallensteen |first2=Peter |date=2004 |title=Armed Conflict, 1989–2003 |url=http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0022343304047568 |journal=Journal of Peace Research |language=en |volume=41 |issue=5 |pages=625–636 |doi=10.1177/0022343304047568 |s2cid=111915843 |issn=0022-3433 |access-date=October 12, 2023 |archive-date=October 14, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231014060453/https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0022343304047568 |url-status=live |url-access=subscription }}</ref>{{Rp|page=625}} The deadliest conflicts were in Iraq, [[Kashmir]], Liberia, Nepal, and Sudan.<ref name=":4" />{{Rp|page=627}}

=== Internal conflicts ===
The [[Colombian conflict]] against two Marxist militant groups—the [[Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia]] and the [[National Liberation Army (Colombia)|National Liberation Army]]—escalated in 2003.<ref name=":3">{{Cite book |last1=Dwan |first1=Renata |title=SIPRI Yearbook 2004: Armaments, Disarmament and International Security |last2=Gustavsson |first2=Micaela |publisher=[[Stockholm International Peace Research Institute]] |year=2004 |isbn=978-0-19-926570-1 |pages=95–131 |language=en |chapter=Major armed conflicts |chapter-url=https://www.sipri.org/yearbook/2003/02 |access-date=October 12, 2023 |archive-date=March 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230328204444/https://www.sipri.org/yearbook/2003/02 |url-status=live }}</ref>{{Rp|page=101}} The government negotiated an agreement for the right-wing militant group [[United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia]] to disband as a means to deescalate the conflict.<ref name=":3" />{{Rp|page=102}}

The [[First Ivorian Civil War]] was halted in 2003 amid a ceasefire while France and the states of [[ECOWAS]] intervened. Peace talks fell apart on March 7 until the ceasefire was restored on May 3, only to be broken again on September 23. The war was left in a frozen state at the end of 2003 with rebels controlling parts of the country.<ref name=":3" />{{Rp|pages=115–116}} The [[Second Liberian Civil War]] against [[Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy]] escalated when the [[Movement for Democracy in Liberia]] split off as its own faction.<ref name=":3" />{{Rp|page=116}} President [[Charles Taylor (Liberian politician)|Charles Taylor]] resigned on August 2, allowing a peace agreement to take place on August 18.<ref name=":3" />{{Rp|page=118}}

The Indonesian [[insurgency in Aceh]] escalated when a demilitarization agreement failed and the government renewed its offensive in May.<ref name=":3" />{{Rp|page=126}} The [[Moro conflict]] in the Philippines deescalated when the Philippine government agreed to peace talks with the [[Moro Islamic Liberation Front]] in July, though conflicts with other groups continued.<ref name=":3" />{{Rp|page=129}}

The [[Sri Lankan civil war|Sri Lankan Civil War]] continued in 2003 as peace talks failed, and long-running civil wars [[Burundian Civil War|in Burundi]] and [[Lord's Resistance Army insurgency|in Uganda]] both escalated.<ref name=":3" />{{Rp|pages=107–112}} The [[Second Sudanese Civil War]] escalated as new militant groups joined the conflict,<ref name=":4" />{{Rp|page=628}} though a security agreement was reached between the [[National Islamic Front]] and the [[Sudan People's Liberation Movement]] on September 25.<ref name=":3" />{{Rp|page=119}} The [[Second Chechen War]] continued in Russia: the Russian government held a referendum for a new Chechen constitution and offered amnesty for Chechen rebels, but terror attacks continued.<ref name=":3" />{{Rp|page=125}}

=== International conflicts ===
Only two inter-state conflicts took place in 2003: the [[Iraq War]] and the [[Kashmir conflict]]. The Kashmir conflict saw progress toward resolution in 2003 as negotiations began and a ceasefire took effect on November 23.<ref name=":3" />{{Rp|page=95}} A coalition of countries led by the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia led an [[2003 invasion of Iraq|invasion of Iraq]] beginning on March 20, warning that Iraq had been [[Iraq and weapons of mass destruction|operating a program]] to develop [[weapons of mass destruction]]. The subsequent Iraq War became the most publicized conflict in 2003.<ref name=":4" />{{Rp|pages=627–628}} The coalition quickly defeated the [[Iraqi Armed Forces]], and American president [[George W. Bush]] gave [[Mission Accomplished speech|a speech on May 1]] declaring victory in the war.<ref name=":162">{{Cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/annualregisterof0000unse_s9x7/ |title=The Annual Register 2003 |publisher=Keesing's Worldwide |year=2003 |isbn=1-886994-47-1 |editor-last=Lewis |editor-first=D. S. |volume=245}}</ref>{{Rp|page=2}} The subsequent [[Iraqi insurgency (2003–2011)|Iraqi insurgency]] proved more deadly than the invasion by the end of the year. By this time, doubts were raised about whether Iraq had been developing the weapons of which it was accused.<ref name=":162" />{{Rp|page=3}}

[[Al-Qaeda]] remained active, launching suicide bombings in Afghanistan, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey. On September 10, its leaders [[Osama bin Laden]] and [[Ayman al-Zawahiri]] released their first video statement since 2001, celebrating the [[September 11 attacks]]. Al-Qaeda figures [[Khalid Sheikh Mohammed]] and [[Riduan Isamuddin]] were captured in March and August, respectively.<ref name=":15" />{{Rp|page=74}}

The [[Second Intifada]] continued into 2003 as conflict between Israel and Palestine killed 400 people in suicide bombings by Palestinians and military strikes by the [[Israel Defense Forces]].<ref name=":3" />{{Rp|page=104}} Israel constructed the [[West Bank barrier]], which it described as a measure to prevent suicide bombings and Palestine described as a measure to impose segregation.<ref name=":15">{{Cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/timeannual200400newy/ |title=Time Annual 2004 |publisher=Time Books |year=2004 |isbn=1-931933-89-8 |editor-last=Knauer |editor-first=Kelly |issn=1097-5721}}</ref>{{Rp|page=76}}