This paper presents an economic perspective on the causes of civil war, based on empirical patterns globally over the period 1965-99.

Arguing that factors accounting for the difference between failure and success in achieving peace are to be found not in 'causes' espoused by rebel groups but in their radically different opportunities to raise revenue, the report highlights policy implications in terms of the economic dimensions for both governments and the international community.

Long sentences given to 143 Kosovar Albanians last week spark fresh outrage, claims of Western indifference.

Richard Mertens, Special to The Christian Science Monitor

PRISTINA, YUGOSLAVIA - While hundreds of thousands of ethnic Albanian refugees were preparing to return to Kosovo last year at the end of NATO's three-month bombing campaign, Islam Gashi was headed in the other direction, deeper into Serbia and farther from home.

Serbian police arrested Mr. Gashi, a retired miner, at his home in Kosovo's capital, Pristina, last May. They

Johannesburg, South Africa. May 31 2000

The 16-nation Economic Community of West African States has called on the UN to toughen its mandate in Sierra Leone from "peacekeeping" to "peace enforcement".

By CHRIS MCGREAL in Freetown

West African governments have agreed to send an extra 3 000 troops to bolster United Nations forces in Sierra Leone amid government claims of significant new military successes against the Revolutionary United Front.

They also said that they plan to fly the captured rebel leader, Foday Sankoh, out of the country to "guarantee

Summary

The government evaluation of the Kosovo-crisis was sent to the Dutch Parliament on 22 March 2000 by W. Kok, Prime Minister, J.J. van Aartsen, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and F.H.G. de Grave, Minister of Defence.

Evaluation of the Kosovo crisis

"In Bosnia and in Kosovo the international community tried to reach a negotiated solution with an unscrupulous and murderous regime. In both instances it required the use of force to bring a halt to the planned and systematic killing and expulsion of civilians."

The country profile on internal displacement in Eritrea available through the Global IDP Database of the Norwegian Refugee Council provides information about the IDP situation as it has developed since the outbreak of the war two years ago. A brief summary is presented below. The complete profile can be accessed through Internet http://www.db.idpproject.org/Sites/idpSurvey.nsf/wCountries/Eritrea or sent to you by e-mail on request (idpsurvey@nrc.ch). An objective

Johannesburg, South Africa. May 26 2000

Refugees claim that Sierra Leone's rebels are using young boys as forced labourers on the diamond mines

By CHRIS MCGREAL in Bo

Camp Splendid's residents long ago judged Sierra Leone's reality much better than the politicians. When peace was proclaimed last July, the 8 000 refugees did not celebrate. When the UN said the war was over, none made the long trek back home. And when the rebels went back to war this month, no one was surprised.

They had seen the Revolutinary United

Introduction
Local elections are to be held in Podgorica and Herceg-Novi, two of Montenegro's 21 municipalities, on 11 June 2000. Their significance is wider than the simple question of who governs the two local authorities, for these will be the first elections in Montenegro since the victory of the "For a Better Life" coalition (DZB) under president Milo Djukanovic in general elections in May 1998. For this reason the results will be widely interpreted as a comment on the performance of Djukanovic so far, and a barometer of the political mood in the republic as a whole.

In stark contrast to the Tudjman era, the Croatian government has implemented a series of measures to facilitate the return of Serbian refugees.
By Dragutin Hedl in Osijek (BCR No. 143, 26-May-00)

In a landmark case earlier this month, the Croatian constitutional court ruled a Montenegrin family, which fled the country nine years ago, could reclaim their old home.

The court's decision will bolster Prime Minister Ivica Racan's plan to facilitate the return of around 17,000 Serb refugees.

The United Nations High Commission for

HC 495

Sir John Bourn, head of the National Audit Office, today reported to Parliament that the Department for International Development have made a major contribution to easing the humanitarian crisis arising from the problems in Kosovo. And there are lessons for the future, for example in the way the Department plan for emergencies and manage their relationship with key suppliers.