Post-conflict development

This research paper examines the capacity of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) to implement post-conflict reconstruction and development (PCRD) and explores how South Africa can leverage its membership to strengthen these activities. The author argues that SADC is currently constrained by a state-centric approach to security, structural silos, and a lack of institutional capacity, leaving PCRD responsibilities to individual member states. By comparing SADC with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the paper suggests that SADC needs to adopt a more holistic, human-security-based approach and improve its coordination with the African Union (AU) and international donors.

• SADC currently lacks the institutional capacity to implement post-conflict reconstruction and development (PCRD), with such capabilities residing primarily within individual member states rather than the organisation itself.
• SADC's approach to peace and security is characterized as state-centric and reactive, focusing on 'freedom from fear' through conflict resolution and mediation rather than a holistic human-security approach that addresses root causes.
• The organisation operates in structural silos, evidenced by a 'double troika' system that separates peace and security issues from development issues, leading to institutional paralysis and a lack of unified vision.
• SADC's primary guiding documents, the Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan (RISDP) and the Strategic Indicative Plan for the Organ (SIPO II), are criticized for being too broad, overly ambitious, and poorly integrated, which hinders their implementation.
• South Africa's ability to lead PCRD efforts within SADC is hampered by perceptions of its regional hegemony and a perceived lack of consistency in its foreign policy, often described as 'flip-flop' diplomacy.
• Compared to SADC, ECOWAS is viewed as a more successful model for regional peace and security because it has adopted a human-security-centred approach, integrated civil society, and acknowledged the need to address the root causes of conflict.
• SADC faces significant challenges in communicating and reporting to international donors, partly due to a strict adherence to internal hierarchy and a lack of monitoring and evaluation (M & E) capacity.
• South Africa possesses specific strategic assets that could benefit SADC, including being the region's sole naval power and having a strong track record in conflict resolution, though its maritime strategy is sometimes viewed as serving South African interests.

APA

Kok, N. (2015). Post-conflict development. Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/Paper279.pdf

Chicago

Kok, Naomi. Post-conflict development. Institute for Security Studies, 2015. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/Paper279.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Kok |first1=Naomi |title=Post-conflict development |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |date=January 2015 |url=https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/Paper279.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{kok2015postconflict, author = {Kok, Naomi}, title = {{Post-conflict development}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2015}, month = jan, url = {https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/Paper279.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }