Violence in Macedonia tops list

BRUSSELS, June 2 (UPI) -- The surge in violence preceding elections in Macedonia topped the International Crisis Group's monthly analysis on world conflicts.

The CrisisWatch report cited the deterioration of eight conflict situations during the month of May. At the top of the list were the recent clashes between ruling and opposition Albanian parties before the election Sunday. The violence resulted in the deaths of at least two persons, the Crisis Group reported.

Violence against foreigners in Alexandra, South Africa, that resulted in the deaths of 60 people and the displacement of thousands was also cited in the report. Also, the violence in Zimbabwe following the announcement of official results from the March presidential election is expected to continue in the lead-up to the ensuing run-off election.

The Crisis Group report also criticized the Myanmar government's response to Cyclone Nargis that left as many as 78,000 people dead and another 2.4 million people who could be at risk of disease.

Violence in Guinea, India, Mali and Sudan also deteriorated in May, but a political agreement in Lebanon ending an 18-month stalemate, along with the situation in Syria and the Taiwan Strait, were cited as conflicts that saw improvements.