The practices of apartheid as a war crime: a critical analysis

The human suffering caused by the political ideology of apartheid in South Africa during the Apartheid era (1948-1994) prompted worldwide condemnation and a variety of diplomatic and legal responses. Amongst these responses was the attempt to have apartheid recognised both as a crime against humanity in the 1973 Apartheid Convention as well as a war crime in Article 85(4)(c) of Additional Protocol I. This article examines the origins, nature and current status of the practices of apartheid as a war crime and its possible application to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict

The Bantustan State and the South African Transition: Militarisation, Patrimonialism and the Collapse of the Ciskei Regime, 1986-1994

This article examines the Ciskei bantustan and processes of state formation during the transition to democracy. In the Ciskei, the rule of Brigadier Gqozo rested on the continued support of the South African state: identified as the weakest link in the National Party’s conservative alliance, the Ciskei became the first target for the African National Congress’ mass action campaign of 1992. The struggle in the Ciskei thus had some significance for the shape of the transition. While at a constitutional level the National Party eventually conceded to the re-incorporation of the bantustans in late 1992, it continued to stall change and to bolster the bantustans through covert military operations and land transfers to bantustan elites. These dynamics of state formation are critical aspects of the history of the transition and were at the heart of the emerging political conflict in the Ciskei, which by mid-1992 was escalating into civil war. This article examines mass mobilisation, political repression and the consequences of the patrimonial militarisation of the Ciskei state in the Ciskei/ Border region. By focusing on processes of state formation and struggles over the fabric of the state, this article provides a corrective to the prevailing academic focus on the elite negotiations and argues for the value of social histories of the bantustan states for understanding the enduring legacies of these regimes

Mediating the European Ideal: Cross-Border Programmes and Conflict Resolution on the Island of Ireland

This article assesses the conditions, context and consequences of the European Union's role in conflict transformation through cross-border activity on the island of Ireland via analysis of interviews with individuals directly involved in EU-facilitated cross-border programmes, as 'mediators' of the European ideal of cross-border co-operation as a means to peace-building. Copyright (c) 2007 The Author(s); Journal compilation (c) 2007 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

The Government of National Unity and the demise of the National Party in post-settlement South Africa

This article explores the demise of the National Party (NP) in postsettlement South Africa. Principally, it focuses on the party’s involvement in the Government of National Unity between 1994 and 1996 and considers the impact of this on the party’s electoral fortunes. From 1948 to 1994 the NP enjoyed political hegemony. It functioned as a racial party vis-a`-vis the country’s white electorate and also an ethnic party with deep emotional links to the Afrikaner community. It played a crucial role in the negotiations that resulted in the end of apartheid and its leader received the Nobel Peace Prize for his peace-making efforts. Yet two or three years after the momentous transfer of power in 1994 the party lost the confidence and support of both Afrikaners and English-speaking whites. This proved terminal and resulted in the party dissolving itself in 2005. The South African case draws our attention to the challenges that an ethnic party can encounter in the post-agreement period. It also alerts us to the problems which can emerge following a negotiated settlement. The article is based upon research conducted with five former senior members of the NP