Peacemaking in Rwanda: The Dynamics of Failure (Project of the International Peace Academy)

Jones (special assistant to the U.N.'s special coordinator for the Middle East peace process) considers the failure of efforts to prevent violence in Rwanda. He considers the efficacy of both official and informal efforts at mediation, peacekeeping, and aid. Citing theory and empirical evidence, he argues that the causes of failure were complex, and relied in part on the uncoordinated nature of various attempts to resolve the conflict, the intransigence of the warring factions, the lack of a coherent strategy, and weak international support. These difficulties, he suggests, revel the weaknesses of the current systems for preventing and managing conflict. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)