Argues that even though the presence of natural resources may prolong civil wars in Africa, in a number of cases civil wars and organised crime have the same origin: a combination of poor political, economic and social governance at a national, regional and international level. Focusing on Angola, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Mozambique, Sierra Leone and Zimbabwe, the book scrutinises resource-rich countries and a poorer one, all of which experi-enced organised crime prior to, during and after the eruption of civil wars. The book is divided into two sections, with the first focusing on definitional issues and the theoretical background of the nexus between organised crime and conflict. The second includes an in-depth discussion of the presence of organised crime in each of the individual countries. Index, 443pp, SOUTH AFRICA. SOUTH AFRICAN INSTITUTE OF INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS.

The book looks for the major causes of civil war in post-independence Africa and to suggest ways in which political stability and order can be restored to the continent. 79pp, notes, bib. ZIMBABWE. ZIMBABWE, UNIVERSITY PUBLICATIONS, 0908307659

A collection of the author's philosophical essays on war and ethics, published between 1988 and 2003. Walzer deals with issues such as nuclear deterrence, humanitarian intervention, and terrorism and looks in detail at the Gulf War and the wars in Kosovo, Afghanistan, and Iraq. The author also questions the issue of military intervention in the context of massacres and ethnic cleansing. Cases examined include Rwanda, the Sudan, Sierra Leone, the Congo, and Liberia. Index, notes, xv, 208pp, USA. YALE UNIVERSITY PRESS, 0300103654

Contributors discuss an overview of conflict in Africa, violence since 1950, the economic context of violence, ethnicity as myth in Central Africa, the potential of NGOs for conflict reduction, and conflict resolution. Appendices include a chronology of armed conflict in Africa from prehistory to the present. One chapter is a case study of the Sudan. Bib, apps, maps, notes, xii, 313pp, USA. SCARECROW. 0810847426

An atlas which visually describes the areas of conflict across the world. Clear and informative, the maps show the causes of all recent and current conflicts. Index, refs, maps, diags, 128pp, UK. EARTHSCAN, 184407000X

Takes a broad comparative approach, from recent wars, insurgencies and violence in Angola, Brazil, and Iraq to the American Civil War, showing how wars have been paid for throughout history. Compares post-conflict reconstruction efforts in Mozambique and Iraq with how nineteenth-century America and twentieth-century Europe rebuilt their shattered societies and economies. Takes issue with two common perspectives on violence and war. The first is the liberal interpretation, according to which war is exclusively negative in its effects and peace is easily achieved through democratisation and free trade. In this view, modern liberal market democracies have outgrown violence, and only resort to it in self-defence. The second is a romantic, utopian view of violence. Transposed into political rhetoric, these two views are often directly opposed, as they are nowadays in Iraq and in the 'War on Terror'. Forges an alternative way of understanding the role of violence in the transition to capitalism and a global economy. Index, bib, notes, 329pp, UK. HURST.

Thirty eight ethnic conflicts are presented with a timeline and an extensive essay covering the conflict's details, historical background, management and significance. Conflicts studied include West Sahara, the Sudan, multinational West Africa, Rwanda and many others. BNS, 400pp, USA. GREENWOOD PRESS.

A documentation of inter state violence and the global responses to it. Ethnic conflicts, racism and genocide are discussed within their national and international perspectives. The author also looks at core elements of future global governance within its historical and sociological context and the role of international organisations in conflict resolution such as the UN, OSCE, COE, OAU, AU and OSA. Index, notes, xxvii, 415pp, UK. ASHGATE PUBLISHERS, 0754609561

The contributors explore why domestic and international efforts to re-establish order, human security, democratic processes, and an economy capable of developing, are proving so difficult to achieve. Also looks at the long term consequences of September 11 and on international stability. The focus is on three regions in particular, the Caucasus, Central America and the Horn of Africa. Index, notes, ref, maps, xiii, 234pp, UK. ZED BOOKS, 184277171X

The 1990s have brought unprecedented violence, economic decline and suffering for many African countries. Much of the optimism that greeted the independence decade of the 1960s, when Africa was called the continent of the future has turned into failure and disappointment. The increase in these conflicts has been blamed on several variables, including colonialism, ethnic diversity, end of the Cold War and economic decline. While many African countries have managed to maintain a modicum of peace, stability and growth, some have clearly failed woefully in this regard. This raises a fundamental question: How and why did some countries manage to avert internal wars while others did not? Index, bib, apps, 206pp, UK. ADONIS & ABBEY.

A comprehensive volume examining 16 cases in the world where a continuing violent or semi violent conflict exists between a national minority inhabiting a region in a larger independent country. The African case considered is the Sudan. BNS, 222pp, UK. ASHGATE PUBLISHERS, 0754637727

Attempts to unravel the intricate tapestry of local conflicts and their links to wider regional instabilities in an area awash with guns and which is formally claimed by Sudan, Kenya and Ethiopia. Index, bib, apps, maps, 206pp, UK. VITA HOUSE.

A wholly revised, updated and extended edition of `THE CIA: A Forgotten History' first published in 1986. The chapters are organised by country and describe the actions of the US government and CIA in each and their long term consequences. A good political and historical overview of American interventionist policy since the Second World War. Index, app, notes, 465pp. ZED BOOKS, 1842773690

Conflict over natural resources has made Africa the focus of international attention, particularly during the last decade. From oil in Nigeria and diamonds in the Democratic Republic of Congo, to land in Zimbabwe and water in the Horn of Africa, the politics surrounding ownership, management, and control of natural resources has disrupted communities and increased external intervention in these countries. Such conflict has the potential to impact natural resource supply globally, with both local and wide-reaching consequences. The United States, for example, estimates that a quarter of its oil supply will come from Africa by 2015. This book offers a detailed look at conflict over various natural resources in several African countries, linking conflicts over these resources to wider questions of governance. Index, bib, notes, tables, 353pp, USA. UNIVERSITY OF ROCHESTER PRESS.

This invaluable guide is excellent for students, peace groups and activists. With tables, maps, case studies and quotes, it looks at how conflict escalates and ways it can be prevented. It examines the changing types of war, including the 'War on Terror' and ethnic conflict such as in Rwanda; the role of diplomacy and the UN, and what steps ordinary people are taking to rebuild communities. It also offers ideas and inspiration for creating lasting peace. 144pp, UK. NEW INTERNATIONALIST.

An anthropology of modern war and insurgency asking whether it is a specialised security issue or an aspect of social reality which cannot be understood outside of its wider social and political context. The contributors tackle recent conflicts in ten countries: Cambodia, Burkina Faso, Somalia, Guatemala, Uganda, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Zimbabwe, Tibet and Bosnia. Index, bib, refs, x, 214pp, UK. JAMES CURREY PUBLISHERS.

A collection of essays looking at the increasingly central role of economics and resources in conflict and how market control is changing the focus of peace building. The authors discuss a wide range of issues such as the use and exploitation of natural resources in civil wars such as diamonds and oil in Sierra Leone, and how globalisation is enabling rival factions to finance their armies through international markets. Other case studies include Colombia, Sri Lanka, Kosovo and Papua New Guinea. Index, bib, notes, ix, 316pp, USA. LYNNE RIENNER, 1588261727

Provides a global and regional, guide with specific information on over 350 international conflicts that have occurred since World War Two. BNS, 400pp, USA. CQ PUBLISHING.

Parts of Africa experienc persistent violence and seemingly intractable conflicts. These violent conflicts have drawn researchers seeking to determine and explain why conflicts are prevalent, what makes them intensify, and how conflicts can be resolved. However, much of the literature on research methodology does not address the complexities of conducting research in the midst of violent conflict and massive ethnopolitical disputes. This book directly addresses these issues in case studies Angola, the DRC, Ghana, Nigeria, Rwanda and South Africa. 190pp, JAPAN. UNITED NATIONS UNIVERSITY PRESS.

Violent conflicts have exacted a heavy toll on Africa's societies, polities and economies. This book presents African scholars' views of why conflicts start in their countries, with essays on Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Kenya, Sudan, Uganda and in the Horn of Africa. Index, 244pp, UK. JAMES CURREY PUBLISHERS.

An innovative ethnography focusing on war zones and their shadowy economies involving money laundering, blood diamonds and gun running. The author's eye witness reporting from conflict zones in Mozambique, Angola and Sri Lanka examines the deep politics of war and the global networks sustaining local conflict. Index, bib, notes, xiii, b/w illus, 293pp, USA. CALIFORNIA U P, 0520242416

An interdisciplinary study of the language, revenge and healing discussing in particular the work and responsibilities of truth commissions. The author looks at a variety of sources from Greek tragedy to Hamlet, from Kant to contemporary theories about retribution and from Babylonian law codes to the South African Truth and Reconciliation Report, arguing that starting afresh by drawing a line between past crimes and new governments is both unrealistic and unwise. BNS, 216pp, USA. UNIV. PRESS OF PENNSYLVANIA, 0812237978

A collection of essays presenting 15 case studies of African countries whose recent past has been shaped by conflict. The authors examine issues of history and ethnic tension. The countries studied are Angola. Botswana, Burundi, DCR, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, Swaziland Uganda and Zimbabwe. Notes, 405pp, SOUTH AFRICA. DAVID PHILIP.

Drawing on fieldwork in inter alia South Africa, Sierra Leone and Rwanda, the contributors to this study argue that within specific cultures, violent acts are expressions of cultural codes imbued with great significance for victim and perpetrator alike, where violence becomes a form of cultural affirmation and expression in the face of a loss of tradition and dislocations of ethnic communities. Index, bib, 306pp, UK. JAMES CURREY PUBLISHERS.

An exploration of the crucial formative role of violence in shaping people's ideas about who they are in uncertain post colonial contexts. Using case studies, the contributors ask how everyday violence ties in with regional and political upheavals, and how violence is legitimised. Countries and topics discussed include ethnic identity in Kenya, civil war in Zimbabwe and the Sudan, politics of identity in Rwanda, South Africa's Truth and Reconciliation Commission, and notions of war among the Tigreans of Ethiopia. Index, notes, refs, x, 261pp, UK. ROUTLEDGE.

Africa is tendentiously associated with violence in the popular and academic imagination alike. Written by leading authorities in postcolonial studies and African history, as well as highly promising emergent scholars, this book highlights political, social and cultural processes in Africa which incite violence or which facilitate its negotiation or negation through non-violent social practice. The chapters cover diverse historical periods ranging from fourteenth century Ethiopia and early twentieth century Cameroon, to contemporary analyses set in Kenya, Tanzania, Nigeria, Cameroon, the Ivory Coast and South Africa. It makes a crucial contribution to a revitalized understanding of the social and historical coordinates of violence - or its absence - in African settings. 256pp, UK. ROUTLEDGE.

Collection of papers, many of them written for the journal African Renaissance, by prominent African scholars and practitioners who seek to understand the various causes of African conflicts, the many forms and different dimensions that these conflicts have taken, their devastating effects and the challenges for sustainable peace and security on the African continent. Includes the report of former United Nations Secretary General, Kofi Anan, The Causes of Conflict and the Promotion of Durable Peace and Sustainable Development in Africa. 304pp, UK. ADONIS & ABBEY.

A study of the role of trade in precipitating and fuelling conflict with particular emphasis on the regional dynamics that are created by war economies. The case studies presented are Sierra Leone, Afghanistan, and Bosnia. Index, bib, xiii, 271pp, USA. LYNNE RIENNER, 1588262111