In the post-independence period, all but six of the 53 member states of the African Union have been beset by civil war and civil strife. Conflict on the continent has come to be recognised as major impediment to evelopment and genuine democratisation. Between 1996 and 1999 the African Centre for Development and Strategic Studies (ACDESS) carried out independent policy research with the aims of achieving in-depth understanding about the nature and causes of the manifold and recurring conflicts on the continent. This pioneering initiative was followed in 2004 by a workshop on strategies to implement the recommendations of the Millennium Development Goals. The result was the establishment of a 'Conflict Monitor' whose role is to establish independent mechanisms to monitor on aspects of conflict such as access to arms, the roles of governments and the international community, and efforts at peace building. The key research and findings of the Monitor over the past decade are presented in this book. The papers cover five of the major conflict countries: Burundi, Rwanda and the Great Lakes region, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Angola, and, additionally, Mali, Nigeria and Somalia. Maps, illus, 215pp, NIGERIA. DOKUN PUBLISHING HOUSE.

Institute for Security Studies monograph number 129. Essays on the Central African Republic, Chad and the DRC. Notes, 74pp, SOUTH AFRICA. INSTITUTE FOR SECURITY STUDIES.

The legacies of war are deprivation, suffering and deep bitterness. This volume looks at how peace and justice can be reconciled in modern post-conflict societies in Africa, Latin America and Eastern Europe. The author proposes wide ranging principles for rebuilding lasting peace, taking into account all dimensions of injustice. Index, bib, notes, x, 246pp, UK. POLITY PRESS, 0745628362

An analysis of civil war as a development issue, discussing the ripple effects of civil conflict, the correlation between economy, the likelihood of war breaking out, and possible international measures to reduce the global incidence of civil war. Refs, bib, tables, graphs. xv, 221pp, UK. WORLD BANK PUBLICATIONS, 0821354817

An examination of the quality of peace which has been forged in South Africa, Rwanda, Chile, Guatemala and Northern Ireland. The author looks at the limits of forgiveness and the political consequences of retribution. Index, notes, xvii, 350pp, USA. GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY PRESS, 0878403949

Conflict manifestations and the development crisis in Africa are addressed by contributions from sixteen eminent Nigerian scholars and researchers in policy and strategic studies. The volume addresses the ontological linkage between the prevalent crisis of underdevelopment and political instability in the continent, resulting in mass poverty, stagflation, uneven development, alienation, mounting external debts and periodic outbreak of violence and military coup d’etats. 308pp, NIGERIA. MALTHOUSE

After a peace agreement, half of all civil wars start again. When a cease fire or peace deal is agreed, hundreds and often thousands of aid workers, military personnel, diplomats and others pour in, but what can they do to reduce the chances of a return to war? This question has led to a growing number of academic courses aimed at practitioners and policy-makers in Britain and elsewhere, but so far there is no book to accompany them. The book stresses that each war is unique and that there is no 'best practice'. Instead, each war must be analysed and understood separately, so this is, in part, a handbook on how to do that. It develops a set of war analysis tools, drawn in part from systems analysis and development studies, but also using the best of the available range of tools, including one developed by DfID. Giving interventions a peace-building content requires a better understanding of the roots of the war and the grievances and interests that caused the war and fuelled its continuation. Index, tables, b/w photos, 336pp, UK. JAMES CURREY PUBLISHERS.

Contains key documents between 1963 and 2005 relating to conflict and security issues on the continent. 521pp, SOUTH AFRICA. PRETORIA UNIVERSITY LAW PRESS.

A sociological model to understand the emergence of the peace processes in Northern Ireland and South Africa. The author develops C. Wrights Mills famous outline of the 'sociological imagination' and merges developments in the two countries at the individual, social structural and political arenas in order to account for the emergence of the peace process. BNS, 224pp, UK. PALGRAVE/MACMILLAN, 0333801806

An analysis of the role of the various organizations involved in conflict resolution in Africa. The bulk of chapters examine specific conflicts such as the Congo war. Contributors are an international group of scholars and consultants. BNS, 284pp. UK. MACMILLAN - PALGRAVE, 1403960801

Part of the Justice Africa series, this book looks at how peace can be achieved in Africa. The essays are a series of contributions by African political leaders and policymakers who discuss the development of a civil society after a culture of militarism. Bib, index, viii, 166pp, USA/ERITREA. AFRICA WORLD PRESS, 0865439885

A collection of essays exploring efforts by Africans to rebuild their communities after lengthy and costly civil wars, looking at political and security measures, economics, and socio political reconciliation. The contributors focus on ten countries: Angola, Ethiopia, Liberia, Mozambique, Rwanda, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Uganda, and Zimbabwe. Index, notes, maps, xvi, 443pp, CANADA. TORONTO U P, 080208463X

Post-colonial Africa has seemingly been in an intractable state of conflict and war for a considerable period of time. This volume explores the process by which these wars were ended, discusses the lessons learnt, and examines the sustainability of recently reconciled conflicts to see how far peace solutions are permanent in this region. Includes essays on Burundi, Sierra Leone, Guinea-Bissau, Angola, Uganda, the DRC, Mozambique and the Sudan.258p, UK. ASHGATE.

Based on a study of every intrastate war settlement between 1980 and 1997 in which international actors played a key role, the authors discuss why some peace agreements fail while some successfully end civil wars. This systematic study also looks at the motivation of international peace forces and the effect of their motivation on the outcome of peace talk. Index, bib, xiii, 728pp, USA. LYNNE RIENNER, 1588260836

Explores the links between conflict resolution, reconstruction and economic reform in Mozambique, Angola, Ethiopia, Eritrea and Guinea-Bissau. BNS, 288pp, UK. OXFORD UNIV PRESS, 0199261032

Study of successful mediation in a half-dozen violent conflicts across the African continent focuses on a hitherto neglected dimension of mediation, and the motivations of the parties in conflict, and of the mediators themselves in initiating the mediation option. The problem of many journalistic accounts and scholarly analyses of conflict mediation is that they detail the mediation process in full swing but have largely neglected the crucial phase of mediators' entry into the destructive and disturbing mass violence in Burundi, Rwanda, the Congo, Sudan, West Africa, and the border conflict between Ethiopia and Eritrea. 256pp, USA. UNITED STATES INSTITUTE FOR PEACE PRESS.

Among the unwelcome legacies of the past century are a group of conflicts, both intrastate and interstate, that seem destined never to end. Unyielding conflicts offer numerous insights, according to the contributors to this volume of essays, not only about the sources of intractability but also about such facets of mediation and conflict management as how to gain leverage, when to engage and disengage, how to balance competing goals, and who to enlist to play supporting roles. Includes essays by Alex de Waal on Sudan and Paul Hare on Angola. Index, xxii, 410pp, USA. UNITED STATES INSTITUTE FOR PEACE PRESS.

An attempt to analyse the causes of violent conflict in Africa, to review the various approaches to conflict prevention and conflict resolution and to discuss some of the practical difficulties in ending violence. It brings together a wide range of scholars and practitioners, with specialist knowledge of a large number of African countries. The intention here is to provide a survey of the various approaches to conflict in Africa, a systematic discussion of some of the root causes of violence, as well as case studies on the consequences of violence and the effects of conflict resolution. 248pp, NETHERLANDS. E J BRILL.

Using case studies from around the world, the authors have compiled evidence detailing how societies address violence through peaceful means and manage conflict effectively. Cultures examined include the Hopi of northern Arizona, the Nubians of northern Africa, the Sama Dilaut of south east Asia, and the Mardu Aboriginals of Australia. Index, gloss, refs, xv, 231pp, UK. ROUTLEDGE, 0415947626

A collection of essays examining of the roles and new opportunities arising from the increasing participation of non governmental organisations in peacemaking, peace keeping and the peace building process. Index, notes, 191pp, UK. FRANK CASS, 0714684066

Argues that transitional conflict resolution mechanisms have emerged for solving national problems within African countries. By the end of the 1980s and early 1990s, several African countries, including South Africa, Burundi and Sierra Leone resorted to either a Truth and Reconciliation Commission or an international tribunal to handle violence and restore peace and justice. In the same period, other African countries opted for what was called 'national conference' to solve their national problems and transform conflict into an opportunity for structural change. In February 1990, the Republic of Benin achieved peace through a national conference on critical issues facing the nation, and political decision-making for constructive changes. Where Benin led, eight other countries followed: Chad, Congo-Brazzaville, Gabon, Mali, Niger, Togo, the Central African Republic, and the former Zaire. To date, most of the existing literature on the subject explores the phenomenon of national conference a prelude to political transition to multipartyism and democracy, but this book takes a different approach by conceptualizing the national conference phenomenon as a multi-track diplomacy tool or as a process for conflict transformation and peacemaking. 220pp, UK. ADONIS & ABBEY.

An analysis of the impact of sanctions and aid conditionalities on ending conflicts and bringing about political change. The contributors draw on cases from the last 40 years looking in particular at southern Africa and Asia. Gloss, notes, 200pp, SOUTH AFRICA. SOUTH AFRICAN INSTITUTE OF INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS, 1919969101

Eight case studies of countries currently committed to nonproliferation - Egypt, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Germany, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan - to determine what scenarios might make them change their minds. The objective was to study how the nuclear genie might get out of the bottle - but it also indicates ways to keep it contained. The book intentionally does not focus on proliferator states, such as North Korea or Iran. Index, 367pp, USA. BROOKINGS.

Identifies lessons to be learnt from conflict management experiences in Liberia, Rwanda, Somalia and other African countries, underlining the importance of a thorough understanding of the causes and dynamics of a conflict in order to identify appropriate strategies of intervention. Refs, notes, 214pp, SWEDEN. NORDIC AFRICA INSTITUTE, 9171064133

A collection of articles which look at the benefits and shortcomings of public participation in peacemaking in South Africa, Mali, Guatemala and Northern Ireland. The authors look at the various ways in which people have negotiated and debated their way to peace agreements within societies which often promote cultures of violence. Illustrated with b/w photographs and includes guides to further reading. Maps, tables, 100pp, UK. CONCILIATION RESOURCES,

Uses Lederach's peace-building model to explore issues which may provide a basis for transformation and a lasting peace. BNS, tables, graphs, 264pp, UK. PALGRAVE, 0333681894

Conflict, famine, poverty and disease form the backdrop against which African leaders must form frameworks for peace and security. In this collection of essays, ten experts address key issues that underpin the security agenda in Africa. Topics discussed include the role of NEPAD and the AU, what lessons can be learnt from other regional security arrangements, problems of funding, the structuring of the envisaged standby force, and the political requirements for an effective security framework. Notes, refs, 282pp, SOUTH AFRICA. INSTITUTE FOR GLOBAL DEMOCRACY, 1919697675

2004 Paperback

A study on peacekeeping in Africa looking at how peace and security can be promoted. Bib, notes, 540pp, SWITZERLAND, 9290451335

A three way co publication between the Development Policy Management Forum in Addis Ababa, the African Centre for Applied Research and Training in Social Development, and the Community of the Sahel Saharan States in Libya presenting a pan African perspective on the revitalised African Union and conflict management within the continent. 275pp, ETHIOPIA. DEVELOPMENT POLICY MANAGEMENT FORUM.

A study addressing the challenges of post conflict societies in the developing world. Case studies include Mozambique, El Salvador, and Cambodia. BNS, 350pp, USA. LYNNE RIENNER.

Collection of essays exploring conflict resolution in Ethiopia, Sierra Leone, Kenya, Niger, Mozambique, South Africa and the DRC. Index, 251pp, USA. AFRICA WORLD PRESS.

Issue 19 of Accord explores the instruments external actors use to influence conflict parties and recommends ways they could be used more effectively. Faced with the problem of how to respond to the challenges of armed conflict, international policymakers frequently turn to incentives, sanctions or conditionality in the hope that these tools can alter the dynamics of the conflict and influence the behaviour of the parties involved. While these instruments have in some cases helped to tip the balance towards settlement, in many other incidences they have been ineffective in encouraging parties to engage in a sustained peace process. The publication draws on experiences in conflicts as varied as Bougainville-Papua New Guinea, Côte dIvoire, Cyprus, El Salvador, Georgia-Abkhazia, Israel-Palestine, Northern Ireland, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Uganda and Sudan. 104pp, UK. CONCILIATION RESOURCES.

A collection of seventeen essays addressing the ongoing conflicts in Africa, presenting solutions for overcoming these conflicts and sustaining peace. Topics discussed include the sources, management, resolution and prevention of conflicts. The authors also look at relationship between development, democracy and public policy in Africa. Index, notes, refs, graphs, 416pp, ETHIOPIA. INTERNATIONAL BOOKS, 9057270498

A leading authority on politics and theology offers a compelling account of hope for reconciliation in a world torn apart by conflict and now engaged in a 'war on terror'. 'I warmly commend this timely book.' Desmond Tutu. Notes, bib, index. viii, 255pp. UK. SCM-CANTERBURY PRESS LTD, 0334028736

In the wake of September 11th 2001, religion is often seen as the motivating force behind terrorism and other acts of violence. The authors of these essays examine how world religions have inspired social welfare and peacemaking activism, also looking at the formidable obstacles to non violent conflict transformation found within sacred texts and living traditions. Case studies include South Africa and Northern Ireland. Index, notes, vii, 320pp, UK. STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK, 0791459349

Offers analyses of a range of African conflicts and demonstrates that peace is too important to be left to outsiders. Essays on South Africa, Namibia, Mozambique, Somalia, Sudan, Kenya, Uganda and Mauritius. Index, 207pp, UK. JAMES CURREY PUBLISHERS.

An analysis of war and peace arguing that war is not a just way to resolve conflict. The author explores alternative ways of confronting aggression and injustice focusing on practical solutions requiring recognition of shared responsibility and the assertion of core values on which peace depends. The author is a former president of the International Fellowship of Reconciliation and Chair of the Committee for Conflict Transformation Support. Index, notes, refs, ix, 177pp, UK. PLUTO PRESS, 0745321879

The availability of practical information on conflict prevention and peace building in specific conflict areas is often scarce. This volume redresses that balance by surveying instances of conflict prevention and management activities across Africa. Organised by region and country, the authors provide background information on the conflict, details of peace building and an assessment of likely future developments. The authors also look at recommendations on how to solve the conflict and provide service information including details of leading local and international organisations, resource, contacts, publications and websites. B/w illus, maps, app, 528pp, NETHERLANDS. INTERNATIONAL BOOKS, 9057270331

Post-conflict peacebuilding has become a primary concern of international politics. Indeed, the UN reform agenda makes clear that more must be done to prevent societies from falling back into violent struggle. Building up domestic capacity to provide security in an accountable manner plays a crucial role in this context. Applying a security governance perspective, this volume examines a number of key issues that must be addressed by both post-conflict societies and the international community as they confront the task of rebuilding after armed conflict - including security sector reform (SSR), disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration (DDR), rule of law and transitional justice. Index, 290pp, GERMANY. LIT VERLAG.

Institute for Security Studies monograph number 198. Notes, 75pp, SOUTH AFRICA. INSTITUTE FOR SECURITY STUDIES.

2004 1919913416 Pamphlet

This innovative work by Francis Deng, the noted scholar, diplomat, legal expert and author, moves the study of negotiation out of the limited traditional context of industrial relations and resituates it in the broader arena of negotiating human relations, drawing on his childhood experiences, inter-racial and cross-cultural encounters at home and abroad, and incidents from his diplomatic career. 464pp, UK. KEGAN PAUL INTERNATIONAL.

Offers the first comprehensive assessment of the practical strategies and tools that might be used effectively, by both international and state actors, to help reduce the illicit exploitation of natural resources and the related financial flows that sustain the violence. Extensive African examples drawn from the experiences of Liberia, Angola, Sierra Leone, the DRC, South Africa and Rwanda. Index, 537pp, USA. LYNNE RIENNER.

Aimed at policy makers and scholars, this collection of case studies aims to arrive at best practices in the field of preventative diplomacy. Case studies include Sierra Leone, the Sudan, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Angola and Mozambique. Index, notes and refs, 313pp, SOUTH AFRICA. AFRICA INSTITUTE OF SOUTH AFRICA, 0798301678

2003 Paperback

Written from the mediator's point of view, to lay out the steps involved in tackling the most stubborn of conflicts. Placing mediation in a larger context, it explores why mediators choose or decline to become involved, what happens when they get involved for the wrong reasons, and the impact of the mediator's institutional and political environment. Index, bib, notes, xii, 240pp, USA. UNITED STATES INSTITUTE FOR PEACE PRESS.

A practical handbook showing how to overcome conflicts at all levels, from personal domestic conflicts to issue based struggles about race, class and gender. The author also looks at major international conflicts between nation states or international divides along economic and religious lines. Includes suggestions for further reading. ix, 189pp, UK. PLUTO PRESS, 0745322549

Argues that most peacekeeping operations have been compromised by a lack of agreed objectives among member states, using case studies on Somalia, Angola and the Congo. Index, bib, figs, maps, 228pp, UK. ROUTLEDGE.

The media generally tend to focus in particular on the failures of UN peacekeeping operations. Somalia, Rwanda and Srebrenica all received considerable attention and the horrors surrounding these operations are widely known. By analysing the UN peacekeeping operations in Cambodia, Mozambique, Rwanda and El Salvador in a structured, focused comparison, this book shows how UN operations do have a contribution to make. Index, bib, tables, 411pp, NETHERLANDS. DUTCH UNIVERSITY PRESS.

An account of the real dangers faced by modern nations and their populations. The authors, a Nobel prize-winner and a biologist examine how best to approach a peaceful future and look at the key factors involved in conflict. Index, x, 228pp, UK. PLUTO PRESS, 0745321917

The first half of the book provides theoretical models to conflict resolution, while the remaining chapters gauge the accuracy and usefulness of current thinking on African conflicts by grounding it in case studies from the Great Lakes Region, Liberia, Nigeria, and Zambia. BNS, 192pp, USA. PRAEGER, 0275974472