Each of the following links takes you to a page containing the significant events of a particular month. Some selected major events are mentioned here as an aid to the reader.

January

February

UNITA leader Jonas Savimbi killed in Angola

March

The Social Democrats defeated the Socialists in Portugal; Arab League summit

April

Angola’s government and rebels ended hostilities; election victory of Socialists in Hungary; creation of Serbia and Montenegro; abortive military coup in Venezuela

May

Toure won the presidential election in Mali; victory of the Christian Democrats in the Netherlands; East Timor became independent; the US and Russia signed the Treaty of Moscow; all 15 EU members ratified the Kyoto Protocol

June

US President Bush’s West Point speech; a NATO-led peacekeeping mission began in Afghanistan

July

Hamas leader Salah Shehada was killed in Gaza City; peace agreement between Rwanda and the DRC

August

Banning of the Batasuna party in Spain

September

The Together for Macedonia Alliance won elections in Macedonia; Japan/North Korea summit

October

Terrorist attack on Bali island, Indonesia; Lula de Silva was elected President of Brazil

November

The AKP was swept into power in elections in Turkey; Hu Jintao effectively became the leader of China; Lucio Gutierrez was elected President of Ecuador

December

Beginning of oil strike (Dec. 2002-Mar. 2003) in Venezuela; six Asian states signed the Kabul Declaration; the National Rainbow Coalition won elections in Kenya