Topic: Civil War

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Reforms in Myanmar: 4 reasons the military changed course

For more than half a century, Myanmar’s military governments were synonymous with brutality and corruption, but a year ago the military stepped aside, handing power to a nominally civilian government. Here are four reasons why this change occurred.
Catholicism in Latin America: 5 key facts

Pope Benedict XVI began his second trip to Latin America on March 23, with stops in Mexico and Cuba. Here is a brief history of the Catholic church in the Americas.
10 sequels based on a classic book

10 authors who wrote a novel based in another author's literary world.
Correspondent reflections: The 10 news events that shaped 2011

In this special section, we look at the year’s biggest stories, and seven staff correspondents reflect on events in hot spots from Latin America to the Libyan front.
Who's who in Iraq after the US exit?

The next year is probably going to be the most crucial for determining the future of Iraq since the US-led invasion of 2003. Here are a few of the major players.

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My final phone call with warlord Charles Taylor

Former president of Liberia Charles Taylor called me regularly in the early 1990s when I was the director of Voice of America's English-to-Africa broadcasts. I'll never forget one strange phone call from him. Unfortunately, my hunch about Taylor's connection to Sierra Leone would prove correct.
Terrorism & Security
Syrian rebels call for peace plan to be declared a failure

If the Free Syrian Army abandons the peace plan, which they warned yesterday they might do, any vestiges of restraint – on either side – could vanish.
Taylor's 50-year sentence draws mixed reactions in Liberia (+video)

Human rights groups welcomed the sentence for Liberia's former president Charles Taylor for his role in Sierra Leone civil war. Some Liberians argued he didn't get fair treatment.
Keep Calm
Fighting continues between Sudan and South Sudan, as economies collapse

At this time last year, South Sudan was preparing to become Africa's newest nation. Now the dispute between South Sudan and Sudan may turn both into the latest failed states.
Terrorism & Security
UN envoy to Syria pins hopes for ending violence on observer mission

Kofi Annan said the observer mission was 'the only remaining chance to stabilize the country,' even though fighting has continued with observers on the ground.
Keep Calm
West African bloc prepares to send troops into Mali and Guinea-Bissau

Two separate military coups in Mali and Guinea-Bissau threaten the stability of the region. But will an intervention by ECOWAS actually resolve these conflicts or just complicate them?
Latin America Monitor
Mexico weighs law to compensate victims of drug violence

Mexico's Senate approved a law that would provide compensation of up to $70,000 to victims of organized crime, writes a guest blogger. It still needs approval from the House of Representatives.
Beyond Kony 2012, child soldiers are used in most civil wars

Kony 2012 campaign calls for plastering posters everywhere tonight. But the use of child soldiers goes far beyond warlord Kony and his LRA. It is the norm in most civil wars. Governments, too, use children to fight. One way to stop it: Deny military aid to these governments.
Brief Russia-West détente on Syria conflict comes to an end (+video)

Russia rejected an invitation to Paris to discuss next steps for Syria, saying that world leaders seemed more intent on helping the rebels than on brokering peace.
Tax deadline: Why you get until April 17 this year to file your return

The tax deadline for filing 2011 federal income tax returns comes two days later than usual. For this, last-minute filers have President Lincoln to thank.
Reforms in Myanmar: 4 reasons the military changed course

For more than half a century, Myanmar’s military governments were synonymous with brutality and corruption, but a year ago the military stepped aside, handing power to a nominally civilian government. Here are four reasons why this change occurred.
Catholicism in Latin America: 5 key facts

Pope Benedict XVI began his second trip to Latin America on March 23, with stops in Mexico and Cuba. Here is a brief history of the Catholic church in the Americas.
Sec. Clinton to meet Russian Foreign Minister. Syria the hot topic

The Obama administration is hoping for signs from Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov that Russia is open to considering a new draft resolution regarding Syria the US began circulating at the UN last week.
Africa Monitor
Congo army reclaims two mines from rebel groups

Congolese civil society and mining associations say these mines should now be guarded by specially trained mining police to better guarantee the end of conflict minerals.
10 sequels based on a classic book

10 authors who wrote a novel based in another author's literary world.
Change Agent
A warrior turns peacemaker in Liberia

Former soldier Christian Bethelson’s only job skill was killing – until a meeting on a muddy road in Liberia changed his life, and many others.
Correspondent reflections: The 10 news events that shaped 2011

In this special section, we look at the year’s biggest stories, and seven staff correspondents reflect on events in hot spots from Latin America to the Libyan front.
Global News Blog
2011 Reflections: the end of a landmark year for Latin America

Seven Monitor correspondents reflect on the world's hot spots. In this installment, Sara Miller Llana says Latin America has economically boomed this year as the US and Europe struggle.
Who's who in Iraq after the US exit?

The next year is probably going to be the most crucial for determining the future of Iraq since the US-led invasion of 2003. Here are a few of the major players.
Terrorism & Security
Baghdad bomb ratchets up worries about slide into sectarian violence (video)

Deadly Baghdad bombings today, which followed an arrest warrant for a top Sunni official, comes just days after the final US troops left the country.
6 of history's forgotten stories

From "The Man Who Shot The Man Who Shot Lincoln" by Graeme Donald, here are six stories that you didn't hear in history class.
Terrorism & Security
A turning point for Syria protests?

Syrian Army defectors launched a fresh assault on a pro-government group yesterday. Some say their concentrated military action could be the turning point for the Syrian protest movement.
After Qaddafi: Can a democratic Libya unify a divided society?

After Qaddafi, some say prospects for orderly transition in Libya – a traditionally divided, tribal society – are not good. There is hope, however, that the homegrown nature of the rebellion will improve the country's prospects.
Backchannels
Qaddafi's death leaves a Libya that must build itself from scratch

Muammar Qaddafi's government was one of a kind, with no independent institutions. That means Libya's new government has nothing, good or bad, to build on.
Syria's neighbors: How 5 border nations are reacting to Assad's crackdown

Lebanon has kept its distance from Syria throughout the uprising, but Syria's other neighbors have responded differently, providing a window into their regional influence and national interests.