Identifying conflict prevention measures

The study of conflict prevention has only recently become more systematic and moved away from an exclusive reliance on case studies. With the efforts of the Uppsala Conflict Data Program (UCDP) and the Folke Bernadotte Academy, a dataset of third party measures taken in armed conflicts at low intensity has been created. The dataset, Managing Intrastate Low-level Conflicts (MILC) covers all existing low-level armed conflicts for the period of 1993-2004. There is a lingering discussion regarding whether systematically collected data based on news media sources, other current reports and general insight actually captures the events that diplomats, mediators and other actors would regard as significant. Some would even question if systematic data like the MILC dataset can generate an accurate and unbiased account of the phenomena it tries to quantify. This study is responding to these concerns by comparing news based information with information based on memoirs and historical accounts. Analyzing the case of Burundi using both approaches, the purpose of this study is to see if different approaches will result ina similar or different understanding of third party activities in a particular crisis. Comparing the MILC dataset with data collected in other ways and using other types of material will help us understand the strengths and limitations of a systematic approach based on news reports. This in turn will provide a better foundation for interpreting and analysing this systematic data.