Globalisation and human rights in Africa

This report documents the 5th African Conference of Commandants (ACoC), held from 28–30 November 2011 in Gaborone, Botswana. The conference brought together commandants from African Staff Colleges to discuss the impact of globalisation on human rights, the proliferation of small arms, gender equality in the military, and the standardisation of military education to support the African Standby Force (ASF) and peace support operations (PSOs).

• The African Conference of Commandants (ACoC) aims to standardise military education and training across African Staff Colleges to support the African Standby Force (ASF) and multidimensional peace support operations (PSOs).
• Globalisation is described as having failed to meet its potential in Africa, creating a divide between rich and poor and undermining the sovereignty of developing nations through unfair rules designed to benefit advanced industrial countries.
• Globalisation negatively impacts human rights in Africa through the violation of privacy via surveillance, the massacre and torture of people in conflicts over natural resources, and the restriction of the free movement of people through stringent visa procedures.
• The proliferation of small arms and light weapons in West Africa is linked to human rights abuses and state instability, with an estimated 7–8 million such weapons in circulation in the ECOWAS sub-region alone.
• Gender discrimination persists in the military, particularly through the exclusion of women from combat roles, which limits their access to leadership positions and prevents cultural change from within.
• The SADC Combined Joint African Exercise (CJAX) is an annual event designed to promote synergy between SADC Command and Staff Colleges and improve operational-level planning for multinational peace support operations.
• The East African Community (EAC) faces security challenges including the potential for conflict over the resources of Lake Victoria and the Nile River, as well as threats from piracy and terrorism linked to the failed state of Somalia.
• The United Kingdom employs an 'integrated approach' to stabilisation, utilizing the Stabilisation Unit (SU) and the Military Stabilisation Support Group (MSSG) to combine civilian and military expertise in fragile and conflict-affected countries.

APA

Potgieter, J., Oder, S. A., & Ndungu, I. (2012). Globalisation and human rights in Africa. Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/2012Nov5thACoc.pdf

Chicago

Potgieter, Johan, Sandra Adong Oder, and Irene Ndungu. Globalisation and human rights in Africa. Institute for Security Studies, 2012. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/2012Nov5thACoc.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Potgieter |first1=Johan |last2=Oder |first2=Sandra Adong |last3=Ndungu |first3=Irene |title=Globalisation and human rights in Africa |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |date=2012 |url=https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/2012Nov5thACoc.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{potgieter2012globalisation, author = {Potgieter, Johan and Oder, Sandra Adong and Ndungu, Irene}, title = {{Globalisation and human rights in Africa}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2012}, url = {https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/2012Nov5thACoc.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }