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| Aug. 30 |
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| In a UN-led referendum, the people of East Timor voted by an overwhelming majority for independence from Indonesia. | 1 |
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| Aug. 31 |
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| After the signing of a weak peace accord by the six involved nations (Rwanda, Uganda, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Namibia, Angola, and Zimbabwe), the civil war in the Democratic Republic of the Congo intensified when conflict erupted between the previously allied nations of Uganda and Rwanda on Congolese soil. The violence and military occupation did not end until UN peacekeeping intervention was successful on July 19, 2000 (See Aug. 31). | 2 |
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| Sept |
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| Australia was the leading military force when the UN intervened in East Timor to prevent violence by pro-Indonesian forces against the East Timorese in reaction to independence votes. | 3 |
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| Sept. 12–16 |
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| Zambia hosted the Eleventh International AIDS Conference in the capital city of Lusaka. Southern Africa continued to be the region most devastated by HIV/AIDS in the world, with UN estimates citing Botswana as the world's most afflicted country, 36 percent of the country's population being infected with HIV/AIDS. One-fifth to one-fourth of the populations of Zambia, Mozambique, Malawi, Zimbabwe, Namibia, South Africa, and Swaziland were also infected, according to UN estimates. | 4 |
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| Sept. 14 |
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| The Pacific island nations of Nauru and Kiribati were admitted to the UN. Tuvalu attained UN membership the following year. | 5 |
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| Oct. 12 |
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| The UN applied heavy sanctions and showed great disdain as Pakistan's government was taken over in a bloodless military coup. This occurred after Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif attempted to dismiss his army chief of staff, Gen. Pervez Musharraf. In a situation that would soon lead to charges of terrorism and hijacking against Sharif, Musharraf took control through martial law and suspended the powers of the Pakistani constitution. This takeover marked the first time in world history that a military regime had gained control over an affirmed nuclear power. | 6 |
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| Nov. 6 |
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| In a national referendum, voters in Australia elected to cut the last ties with Britain and become a completely independent republic. | 7 |
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| Nov. 14 |
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| Refusing to turn over ex-Saudi millionaire and terrorist leader Osama bin Laden to the U.S. for prosecution, Taliban-led Afghanistan faced increased UN and U.S. economic sanctions. | 8 |
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| Nov. 30 |
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| Riots against World Bank meetings in Seattle, Washington united environmental, labor, and other protesters against globalization. In the following year disruption also occurred in Switzerland, Washington, D.C., and the Czech Republic. | 9 |
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| Dec. 20 |
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| Macao was returned to Chinese sovereignty after 442 years as a Portuguese colony. | 10 |
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| Dec. 31 |
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| Panama formally took control over the Panama Canal from the U.S. | 11 |
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