ABSTRACT
When armed conflicts were dominated by large-scale wars between countries and empires, over the last few decades growing numbers of people have been killed in violent struggles taking place within states. Armed conflicts are considered as: conflicts that occur through the pursuit and denial of human needs – recognition, identity, and developmental needs generally – in relation to which there cannot be compromise. The renowned Correlates of War Project defines civil war as: any armed conflict that involved: military action internal to the metropole of the state system member; the active participation of the national government; effective resistance by both sides. In 1995 Rwanda's external creditors entered talks with the Tutsi dominated new government regarding the debts of the former regime. The conflict trap is treacherous and difficult to escape from because it has multiple dimensions: political, psychological, cultural, and social.
