Bosnia: peace effort falters
A Statement by the International Crisis Group

Saving Lives from disaster
an obituary of Nicholas Hinton
by William Shawcross

Chaos in Central Africa
by David Shearer

Liberia: railroading peace
by Victor Tanner

Hope and fear in Sierra Leone
by Charles Radcliffe

Editor:
Charles Radcliffe

Production Assistant:
Simon Sheehan

Unless otherwise stated, the views expressed in Crisisbrief are the personal opinions of the authors and do not necessarily represent the position of the International Crisis Group.

Welcome to the first issue of Crisisbrief, the quarterly newsletter of the International Crisis Group (ICG). In offering readers a series of short, personal articles as well as important ICG policy statements, we hope to provide an insight into crisis situations as seen from the ground. In this issue, we carry reports from ICG correspondents in Liberia, Sierra Leone and central Africa as well as a summary of a recent ICG review of progress towards implementation of the Dayton Peace Agreement in Bosnia. In future, we will continue to track developments in these and other parts of the world and introduce a number of "cross-cutting themes" relevant to the prevention of crises such as the flow of arms, the use of mercenary armies, the privatisation of diplomacy and strengthening the rule of international law.

The printed edition of Crisisbrief will be distributed internationally to some 3,500 individuals in foreign ministries, international organisations, aid agencies and the media. The aim is to increase distribution over time. If you, or someone you know, would like to receive Crisisbrief on a regular basis please call, fax or e-mail ICG in London.

In this first issue of Crisisbrief we also carry an obituary of ICG's first president Nicholas Hinton. Nicholas led ICG from July 1995, when the organisation was launched, up until his sudden death on 20 January 1997. His unflagging energy and determination were an inspiration to all those who knew and worked with him; these same qualities were also the driving force behind ICG's early success. During the 19 months of his presidency, ICG moved forward rapidly. A headquarters was established in London and a small, highly-qualified team of staff members recruited. Major field programs in west Africa and the Balkans were launched and backing for the organisation's efforts was secured from governments, business and a number of prominent individuals. By the time of his death, Nicholas had built ICG into a credible, fully-operational agency with a rising international profile and an established track-record in crisis analysis and advocacy.

ICG is indebted to Morton Abramowitz, president of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, for stepping in as acting ICG president during the interim period. The appointment of Nicholas Hinton's successor will be publicly announced following the next meeting of the ICG Board in Paris on 22 May 1997. A profile of the new president will be published in the next issue of this newsletter.

Charles Radcliffe
ICG Director of Policy and Communications