Focus on Nigeria

"Feature on Nigeria, recipients of the 2000 Africa Peace Award. A vast, populous country, Africa needs a stable, properous Nigeria. It's problems are not uniquely Nigerian, but a microcosm, albeit a large one, of the problems facing the entire continent: ethnic chauvinism, religious fundamentalism, tensions between central and national government. How Nigeria deals with these problems could set the tone for how other African states could successfully manage similar situations..."

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Water Wars

"As populations grow, finite water resources are being stretched to their limit... these population growth levels are fundamentally uneven: little of the projected population growth will take place in the North. The ramification of this is the possibility of conflict over scarce water resources in the developing world."

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Focus on Renaissance

"This is a very special edition of Conflict Trends one that is quite contradictory in tone... On the one hand, we celebrate Africa's most popular state, Nigeria, being awarded the Africa Peace Award as it celebrates its first year under civilian rule in almost two decades. On the other, we lay special focus on mercenaries and/or private security companies and analyse their impact on Africa's on-going conflicts."

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"On 14 October 1999, Mwalimu Nyerere succumbed to chronic leukaemia at the age of 77. On a continent acclaimed for its self-serving leadership, Nyerere stood out as the embodiment of the spirit of ubuntu - I am, because you are... we too join our brothers and sisters across the continent in mourning one of Africa's great sons - Mwalimu Julius Kambarage Nyerere, a visionary and statesman who reflected the ideals of the African Renaissance."

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Focus on Renaissance

"Southern Africa constitutes a sad anomaly. The region is vast, and rich with natural resources and could well be the engine that drives Africa's economic Renaissance. Despite these positive indicators, the region's people continue to experience unemployment, poverty and malnourishment... To break the cycle of war and suffering, and to secure the development of the region, it is imperative for a solution to be found for the current wave of political instability besetting several countries in the region."

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"There is an old Yoruba proverb which states, 'Not even God is wise enough...' Often proper interpretation of data, such that is available, is jettisoned in favour of the sound-bite effect. The need to eschew such simplistic notions and embrace more holistic understandings of African conflicts is essential if we are to effectively eradicate, or at least minimise, the conflicts afflicting our continent."

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"Conflict Trends has matured with the first full edition of 'Conflict Watch' and 'Renaissance Barometer' where we chart the developments across the continent for the last quarter. Drawn from thousands of source documents including established news sources, published research and our own sources, we hope that these analyses will serve to give one of the most comprehensive overviews of what is happening in the conflict and reconstruction fields for the continent."

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"The 1990s have proved to be exciting and challenging times. Far-reaching developments in technology and phenomenal changes in the global political and economic environment have brought with them new challenges, many not foreseen at the turn of the decade. It is in this context that we launch our magazine. We hope to give the interested observer deeper insight into the many challenges that confront us in Africa. To the many other Africans who share this drama with us, we hope to provide a balanced and objective understanding of our challenges and our numerous yet unrecorded successes at meeting these challenges."

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