A Darker Shade of Peace

The book discusses landmine warfare today, looking at its impact on international relations, local populations, and humanitarian intervention since the 1997 Ottawa Mine Ban Treaty. In 1997, several nations signed the Ottawa Treaty, also called the Mine Ban Treaty. However, the landmine-free world it envisaged by 2010 has yet to come. This book seeks out to explain why. To do so, it looks at the concept and impact of landmines from an international relations, security, and international law perspective and how landmines affect local populations. It discusses the absence of major signatories to the treaty such as the US, Russia, and China, as well as the use of landmines to this date by some of the signatory countries. It also explains how some humanitarian interventions, such as Mine Risk Education programs, can be misguided and produce unwanted effects, creating for example fear in populations that are not directly at risk. Goldsworthy, a scholar and clearance specialist, offers a balanced account of this key disarmament issue. He presents all facets of the global landmine issue, including concepts, theory, methodology, and case studies. This unique work will be a must read for anyone studying conflict processes and international relations.