Thomas Ohlson

"In April 1994, black and white South Africans voted for the first time for a nonracial government. This watershed election in the spring of '94 was one of many profound changes in Southern Africa, including independence in Namibia, democratic elections in Zambia, a peace agreement in Mozambique, and renewed civil war in Angola. The authors explore the sources and dynamics of the political, economic, and diplomatic transformations that took place in Southern Africa. They recount how Southern Africa has long endured costly, violent domestic and interstate conflicts, often complicated and intensified by external interventions and interests. They also analyze the various attempts to resolve Southern Africa's conflicts. They suggest that the democratic transition in South Africa has opened the possibility to create a secure Southern Africa, but they also note that past conflict legacies and new unanticipated conflicts could stand in the way. The challenge ahead will be to create new institutions at the national and regional levels that can help political players resolve conflict without resorting to violence."

The value of major conventional weapons imported by Third World countries between 1971 and 1985 was quadruple that for the previous two decades. This spectacular increase reflects changes in the economic and technological relations between industrialized nations and the Third World, as well as having profound political repercussions. This book gives a comprehensive overview of the flow of major conventional weapons during the period 1971-85. It analyses both the suppliers and the main Third World recipients, describing the inflow of arms and the reasons underlying it. The facts that propel this arms trade are assessed in a concluding chapter which also analyses the structural changes that have occurred in the arms markets and their implications. The detailed statistics and arms trade registers for the period (in some cases from 1951), and the introduction of a new SIPRI price system for evaluating the arms trade, make this a valuable reference work.