In the early stage of the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), a difficult debate took place between the European governments, UNHCR, ICRC and other organisations regarding the fate of those displaced by the war. Finally, the European nations reluctantly…
Recent legislation, notably the laws commonly referred to as loi Pasqua (1993) and loi Debré (1997) have been widely criticised though they have not been more severe than immigration legislation elsewhere in Europe. On the other hand the French authorities…
The words 'Rwanda' and 'genocide' are inextricably linked for all time, signifying one of the most horrifying chapters in human history. In a three-month period, from April to July 1994, an estimated one million Rwandans were massacred. ...Collectively, the international…
A UN Centre for Conflict Analysis Before coherent response to conflict is possible, clarity and unity of understanding among key international players are essential. A practical proposal to counter the time pressures and to promote unity of understanding would be…
On 5 July 2005, a Declaration of Principles for the Resolution of the Sudanese Conflict in Darfur was signed in Abuja by the Sudanese government, the Sudan Liberation Movement and the smaller Justice and Equality Movement.[1] Although this is unquestionably…
Sudan’s civil war drove hundreds of thousands of people from their homes to encroach on others’ resources, often sparking conflicts within and between southern communities. At the same time, traditional methods of governance and arbitration, that once kept inter-ethnic and…
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) – with support from the World Food Programme, OCHA, UNICEF, World Vision, MSF Spain and the Camboni missionaries – assisted some 5,000 IDPs from 10 different tribes on a 350-km return route through the…
Tragic recent events have drawn attention to the neglected issue of IDP settlements in the Khartoum metropolis, now home to five million people. In May 2005 Sudanese security forces arrived in the squatter area of Soba-Aradi, 30km south of Khartoum.…
Some IDPs send male family members ahead to assess conditions but the journey can be hazardous and the information gained scanty. Information provided by the authorities is not always reliable either, often reflecting political objectives. The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC)…
In the 1980s, Central America was one of the main battlegrounds of the Cold War. What began essentially as social conflicts over the lack of land for poor peasants, unequal distribution of wealth and restricted enjoyment of civil and political…