The following publications are recently published by researchers at the Dept of Peace and Conflict Research

Broscé, Johan Darfur. 2008. Dimensions and Dilemmas of a Complex Situation, UCDP Paper No.2, Uppsala.

The point of departure for this report is a field study conducted by the author in Sudan during the fall of 2007. The purpose of this analysis is to deepen knowledge about the current crisis in Darfur through a broad approach. The study includes a short background to the crisis in Darfur and examines some of the major actors, the situation on the ground, the peacekeeping process, the negotiations and the international response. It is argued that the current situation in Darfur is a result of three parallel and interlinked types of conflicts: communal conflicts, conflicts between different regional elites, and periphery-centre conflicts. It is also argued that a comprehensive approach to Sudan is needed to find a lasting solution in Darfur and other areas of Sudan. Moreover, the report stresses the vast problems that both the negotiations and the peacekeeping operation face at the moment. Finally, a call is made for a stronger commitment from, and co-ordination by, the international community to solve the conflicts in Darfur.

The full report is available as pdf.

Brounéus, Karen. 2008. Rethinking reconciliation: Concepts, Methods and an Empirical Study of Truth Telling and Psychological Health in Rwanda. Uppsala University.

Jarstad, Anna K. and Timothy D. Sisk (eds.). 2008. From War to Democracy: Dilemmas of Peacebuilding, Cambridge University Press.

Attempts to introduce democracy in the wake of civil war face a critical problem: how can war-torn societies move towards peace and democracy when competitive politics and hard-fought elections exacerbate social and political conflict? Through a study of six themes (peacekeeping, management of violence, power sharing, political party transformation, elections, civil society and international reactions to democratization crises) this volume considers the dilemmas that arise in pursuing peace after civil war through processes of democratization. The contributors' research highlights the complex relationship between democratization, which is competitive, and peacebuilding or efforts to achieve reconciliation. The book offers insights into more effective action in peacebuilding in light of the short-term negative effects that democratization can introduce. It is a thought-provoking work that seeks both to advance theory and to provide policy-relevant findings to facilitate more effective and durable transitions from war to democracy.

Claude Ake Memorial Paper, CAMP 3, written by Amady Sesay: "The African Union: Forward March or About Face-Turn?"

This issue of the CAMP series contains the text version of the 2005 Claude Ake Memorial Lecture, delivered by Professor Amadu Sesay, who became the third holder of the Claude Ake Chair at the Department of Peace and Conflict Research in Uppsala. Having joined the Department of International Relations in Obafemi Awolowo University in 1978, Professor Sesay headed that department during the period 2000-2006. He has since been appointed the official ECOWAS Historian, and in that capacity he is currently commissioned to write a book on the ECOMOG military operations in West Africa.

Höglund, Kristine. 2008. Peace Negotiations in the Shadow of Violence, Leiden: Martinus Nijhoff Publishers.