Brazil

On 2 May, the Landless Movement (MST) began nationwide protests against economic inequality. On the same day, the United Brazilian Truck Driver Movement went on strike for lower tolls and safer highways. Within a week, the MST protests had been dispersed and the trucking strike had collapsed (Reuters).

3 MAY 2000

Sierra Leone

There were clashes between peacekeeping troops of the United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL) and forces of the rebel Revolutionary United Front (RUF) as UNAMSIL was attempting to disarm RUF troops. Some 500 UNAMSIL troops were captured by the RUF (Reuters). Within a month, and after negotiations with the RUF, they were freed.

3-4 MAY 2000

Lebanon / Israel

On 3 May, Hizbollah launched a rocket attack on a northern Israeli town. The next day, there were Israeli air raids on Lebanese power stations (Reuters).

5 MAY 2000

Sub-Saharan Africa, Diplomatic Affairs

Peace talks between Eritrea and Ethiopia in Algiers collapsed (Reuters).

Democratic Republic of the Congo

There was a clash between Rwandan and Ugandan forces near Kisangani (Reuters).

7 MAY 2000

Russia, Politics

President Vladimir Putin was inaugurated (Reuters).

Middle East / North Africa, Diplomatic Affairs

Israeli Prime Minister Barak and Palestinian President Arafat met in Ramallah, in the West Bank (Reuters).

9 MAY 2000

Spain

Thousands demonstrated against the ETA in the Basque port of Bilbao (Reuters).

10 MAY 2000

Sierra Leone

Pro-government forces reportedly blocked a RUF advance on Freetown (Reuters).

12 MAY 2000

Sierra Leone

Government forces claimed to have advanced to Magbuntoso (Reuters).

Argentina

There were violent protests by hundreds in the northwest part of the country against certain government labor policies (Reuters).

12-16 MAY 2000

Eritrea / Ethiopia

On the 12th, Ethiopia launched an offensive in the Badme region. By the 16th, the Ethiopians had reportedly advanced up to 50 kilometers in places (Reuters).

13 MAY 2000

Iran / Iraq

An Iraqi rebel group backed by Iran claimed to have carried out a rocket attack on Bagdad. Later, the Iraqi-backed Iranian rebel group Muhahideen Kalq conducted a mortar attack on the Iranian town of Kermanshah (Reuters).

Sierra Leone

Pro-government troops took Mosiaka (Reuters).

Israel, West Bank

There were violent protests by hundreds of Palestinians in Tulkam and Hebron demanding that Israel release Palestinian and Arab prisoners (Reuters).

Yugoslavia

Bosko Perasivic, head of Vojvodina province, was assassinated in Novi Sad (Reuters).

15 MAY 2000

Israel, West Bank

There were more violent anti-Israel demonstrations across the West Bank and Gaza (Reuters).

Ethiopia, Home Front

About 200,000 Ethiopians demonstrated in Addis Ababa against a US / British proposal for an arms embargo on their country and Eritrea (Reuters).

Rwanda, Genocide

Belgian journalist Georges Ruggiu, on trial by the UN's International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) in Arusha, Tanzania, pleaded guilty to charges of direct and public incitement to commit genocide and crimes against humanity (Reuters).

Kosovo, Civil Affairs

Miles Jokic, a 21 year-old Serb, went on trial in Pristina for genocide (Reuters).

16 MAY 2000

Dominican Republic, Politics

A presidential election was held. Hipolito Mejia of the Dominican Revolutionary Party (PRD) won almost 50% of the vote. His victory was then accepted by his opponents, Danilo Medina of the ruling Dominican Liberation Party (PLD) and Joaquin Bologuer, eliminating the need for a run-off election (Reuters).

Israel, West Bank

There were more violent clashes between Palestinians and Israelis, though they were less intense than those on the 15th (Reuters).

17 MAY 2000

United Nations

The UN Security Council imposed a twelve-month arms embargo on Eritrea and Ethiopia (Reuters).

Sierra Leone

RUF leader Foday Sankoh was captured in Freetown.

Yugoslavia

30,000 people demonstrated in Belgrade against government closures of some media outlets. There was some violence (Reuters).

Russia, Politics

The Russian parliament confirmed Mikhail Kasyanov as the new Prime Minister (Reuters).

Asia-Pacific, Diplomatic Affairs

Russian President Vladimir Putin began a trip to Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan (Reuters).

18 MAY 2000

Eritrea / Ethiopia

The Ethiopians took Barentu (Reuters).

Yugoslavia

Tens of thousands of people violently protested the government's media crackdown (Reuters).

19 MAY 2000

Paraguay

There was an abortive coup attempt by some army and police units stationed near the capital, Asuncion (Reuters).

Fiji

Ten gunmen led by George Speight attempted a coup. They seized the parliamentary complex and took about 30 members of the ruling Labor Party hostage, including Prime Minister Mahendra Chaudhry (Reuters). Speight's goal was to remove ethnic Indians -- including Chaudhry -- from political power and set up a government of ethnic Fijis only.

20 MAY 2000

Israel, West Bank

About 100 Palestinians were injured in clashes with Israeli security forces. Prime Minister Barak canceled a visit to the US (Reuters).

Taiwan, Politics

Chen Shui-bian was inaugurated President (Reuters).

Sri Lanka

The rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) claimed to have taken Chavakachcheri, 15 kilometers east of Jaffna (Reuters).

21 MAY 2000

Haiti, Politics

Parliamentary elections were held for the 19-seat Senate and 82-seat Chamber of Deputies. The Lavalas Family party won 18 of the Senate seats; it also won 72 seats in the Chamber of Deputies, while 9 went to opposition party members and one went to an independent. The election was criticized by the Organization of American States (OAS) and others for some irregularities (Reuters).

Philippines

A bomb attack in Manila killed 1 person and injured 14 (Reuters).

22 MAY 2000

Italy, Politics

Referendums on several reforms failed due to weak voter turnout. One proposed reform would have reduced the role of proportional representation in Italy's electoral system (CNN.com).

22-24 MAY 2000

Nigeria

Over 200 people were killed in Christian-Muslim violence in Kaduna (Reuters).

23 MAY 2000

Eritrea / Ethiopia

Ethiopian forces began a new offensive in the center of the front (Reuters).

23-24 MAY 2000

Lebanon

Israeli forces withdrew from southern Lebanon as the South Lebanon Army (SLA) collapsed (Reuters).

24 MAY 2000

Sub-Saharan Africa, Diplomatic Affairs

Eritrea said it would comply with a proposal by the Organization for African Unity (OAU) that both Eritrea and Ethiopia withdraw their forces to positions held as of 6 May 1998, when their war began (Reuters).

Economic Affairs

The US House of Representatives passed legislation allowing permanent normal trade relations (PNTR) with China. The vote was 237-197 (Reuters).

27 MAY 2000

Yugoslavia

An anti-Milosevic demonstration in Belgrade drew about 15,000 people (Reuters).

28 MAY 2000

Peru, Politics

President Alberto Fujimori won a widely criticized run-off of Peru's presidential election. He took 51.2% of the vote, Alejandro Toledo got 17.7%, and 29.9% cast invalid ballots. The casting of invalid ballots was something Toledo had urged voters to do to protest alleged vote fraud on the part of Fujimori in both the initial election and in the run-off (Reuters).

29 MAY 2000

Northern Ireland

Britain restored the provisional home-rule government at midnight (Reuters).

Sierra Leone

Pro-government forces reportedly took Lunsar (Reuters).

31 MAY 2000

Sierra Leone

RUF rebels retook Lunsar (Reuters).

Argentina

About 20,000 members of the General Workers Confederation (CGT) demonstrated in Buenos Aires and other cities against cutbacks in the public sector, and against the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which has helped inspire the cutbacks (Reuters).