The euphoric cries of a peaceful and more dynamic new world order', which followed the end of the Cold War have been silenced by the increased intensity of local conflicts around the world. The humanitarian crises resulting from these conflicts have attracted greater international attention. Perhaps even more tragic is the failure of the international community to find early effective response to these conflicts, which have profound security implications for the affected regions and have led to the collapse of state structures in some cases. The intra-state conflicts in Africa alone have...