Peace & Security Council Report

The September 2018 Peace & Security Council Report by the Institute for Security Studies examines challenges to democracy in Africa, the complexities of peace initiatives in the Central African Republic, political instability in Lesotho, the fragile peace deal in South Sudan, and the ongoing evolution of the African Standby Force.

• The African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance faces significant implementation gaps. While it has been signed by 46 member states and ratified by 31, only Togo had submitted a compliance report as of August 2018. The African Union (AU) has been criticized for failing to investigate 'constitutional coups'—where leaders remove term and age limits to stay in power—despite such actions being defined as an 'unconstitutional change of government'.
• In the Central African Republic (CAR), the AU-led 'African initiative' for peace is being complicated by a parallel mediation effort led by Russia and Sudan. This dual approach creates confusion and allows armed groups to operate in two different arenas. Russia has increased its influence in the CAR since December 2017 by providing weapons and training to security forces and conducting its own negotiations with armed groups in Khartoum.
• Political stability in Lesotho is threatened by infighting within Prime Minister Thomas Thabane's ruling All Basotho Convention (ABC) party, specifically regarding the influence of his wife, Maesaiah Thabane. While a national leadership forum in August 2018 showed progress toward reconciliation, the Southern African Development Community (SADC) has refused a request to extend the mandate of the SADC Preventive Mission in the Kingdom of Lesotho (SAPMIL) beyond November 21, 2018.
• A peace agreement signed on September 12, 2018, in Addis Ababa aims to establish a transition government in South Sudan, but its success is threatened by systemic corruption and a 'zero-sum scramble for power and profit' among the elite. The country's heavy reliance on oil reserves—approximately 3.5 billion barrels—and the loss of over US$4 billion in revenue during the civil war create significant financial risks for the transition government.
• The African Standby Force (ASF) is undergoing a conceptual overhaul to address an outdated 2003 doctrine and the evolving nature of threats, which now include terror groups, piracy, and humanitarian disasters. While a continental logistics base was opened in Douala, Cameroon, in January 2018, an AU assessment found that Northern and Central Africa are lagging in developing their regional standby forces compared to Western, Southern, and Eastern Africa.

APA

Ani, N. C., Louw-Vaudran, L., Gumba, D. E. O., & Kuol, A. M. (2018). Peace & Security Council Report. Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/psc106.pdf

Chicago

Ani, Ndubuisi Christian, Liesl Louw-Vaudran, Duncan E Omondi Gumba, and Akol Miyen Kuol. Peace & Security Council Report. Institute for Security Studies, 2018. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/psc106.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Ani |first1=Ndubuisi Christian |last2=Louw-Vaudran |first2=Liesl |last3=Gumba |first3=Duncan E Omondi |last4=Kuol |first4=Akol Miyen |title=Peace & Security Council Report |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |date=September 2018 |url=https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/psc106.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{ani2018peace, author = {Ani, Ndubuisi Christian and Louw-Vaudran, Liesl and Gumba, Duncan E Omondi and Kuol, Akol Miyen}, title = {{Peace \& Security Council Report}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2018}, month = sep, url = {https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/psc106.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }