Search Climate Insights Directory

This report assesses the role and effectiveness of community peace accords in seven Kenyan counties: Tana River, Garissa, Isiolo, Marsabit, Mandera, Wajir, and Turkana. It examines the transition from top-down, state-led agreements to community-led processes, highlighting that sustainable peace depends on local ownership, inclusive design, and the integration of traditional customs. The study identifies key drivers of conflict, including resource scarcity, historical marginalisation, and political competition under devolution, while providing policy recommendations to improve the coordination, funding, and legal frameworks supporting these accords.

This report by the Institute for Security Studies and UNIDIR examines the feasibility of using dialogue and negotiation to resolve the Boko Haram insurgency in the Lake Chad Basin. Based on qualitative research conducted in 2023 across Nigeria, Niger, Chad, and Cameroon, the study analyzes the differing motivations and capacities of the Jamā'at Ahl as-Sunnah lid-Da'wah wa'l-Jihād (JAS) and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) factions. It argues that while military efforts alone are insufficient, strategic negotiations—potentially targeting mid-level commanders rather than just top leadership—could complement kinetic operations to end the conflict.

This report presents the findings of a consultative study involving 52 women in Niger's Tillabéri region to analyze the gender-specific impacts of a security crisis that has claimed over 2,495 lives in the region between January 2017 and July 2022. The study highlights how insecurity exacerbates gender-based violence, increases poverty through widowhood and economic disruption, and hinders access to essential health and education services.

This report synthesises findings from the Network for Innovative Resilience-Building in South Sudan to identify more effective approaches to peacebuilding and resilience. It argues that durable peace requires a shift from short-term 'quick-fix' activities to long-term, locally-led processes that integrate livelihood support and address the gendered dimensions of food insecurity.

This policy brief examines the drivers of violent conflict in Mozambique's Cabo Delgado province, arguing that the insurgency is fueled by a combination of political marginalization, grievances over the governance of liquefied natural gas (LNG) resources, and the amplifying effects of climate-related disasters.

This policy brief analyzes the insurgency in Cabo Delgado, Mozambique, arguing that while the conflict is framed as religious extremism, it is rooted in systemic neglect, regional inequality, and a 'resource scramble' involving rubies and natural gas. The authors suggest that the Mozambican government's security response and the marginalization of local communities have exacerbated structural problems, drawing parallels to the Niger Delta in Nigeria.

This report by the Institute for Security Studies examines the territorial dispute between the self-declared state of Somaliland and the autonomous Puntland State of Somalia over the Sool and Sanaag regions. It analyzes the intersection of colonial legacies, clan dynamics, and national political tensions that drive conflict and hinder resolution.

This report details a September 2017 training workshop on conflict-sensitive conservation (CSC) held in Bukavu, South Kivu province, Democratic Republic of Congo. Organized by the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD), the workshop aimed to train staff from the Institut Congolais pour la Conservation de la Nature (ICCN) and community forest representatives on identifying and analyzing conservation conflicts within the Maiko-Tayna-Kahuzi-Biega (MTKB) landscape to minimize risks and maximize peace-building opportunities.

This report by the Institute for Security Studies analyzes the proliferation of armed groups in Mali following the 2012 crisis, examining the motivations behind their creation, the dynamics of their alliances, and the challenges facing the implementation of the June 2015 peace agreement.

This policy brief examines the border dispute between Malawi and Tanzania over Lake Malawi, which escalated due to the discovery of potential oil reserves. It analyzes the failures of regional preventive diplomacy mechanisms, specifically within SADC and the AU, and argues for the empowerment of these institutions to resolve inter-state conflicts through legitimate, binding processes.

This report by the Institute for Security Studies analyzes the drivers and types of insecurity in Kenya, arguing that while al-Shabaab receives significant attention, armed criminal groups and the nature of Kenyan politics pose more widespread threats. The document examines the role of state-led violence, historical land injustices, and regional dynamics in the Horn of Africa in shaping the country's security landscape.

A briefing on the territorial dispute between Malawi and Tanzania over Lake Malawi, focusing on the disagreement regarding the mediation process and the structural limitations of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) in resolving such conflicts.

This research paper by Petrus de Kock for the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA) examines the historical and contemporary drivers of conflict in Sudan, focusing on the relationship between the central state in Khartoum and its marginalised peripheries. Written in June 2011, the document analyzes how the struggle for both high-level resources (oil) and low-level subsistence resources (land and water) has shaped the country's political landscape, leading to two civil wars and the eventual independence of Southern Sudan in July 2011.

This workshop report, compiled by Nyambura Githaiga for the Institute for Security Studies, analyzes the regional dimensions of conflict in the Great Lakes Region of Africa. It examines the interconnectedness of political instability, human rights violations, and the proliferation of small arms and light weapons (SALW), alongside the role of natural resources in financing armed groups. The document evaluates the effectiveness of regional bodies such as the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) and the East African Community (EAC) in promoting sustainable peace and managing forced displacement.

This report documents a three-day workshop held from December 5 to 7, 2006, in Goma, Democratic Republic of the Congo. The workshop aimed to strengthen the capacity of the Institut Congolais pour la Conservation de la Nature (ICCN) to manage and resolve conflicts related to natural resources within Virunga National Park. Facilitated by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD), Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), and WWF, the event focused on conflict analysis tools, the identification of primary drivers of conflict in the park, and the development of strategic intervention plans.

This report analyzes the land-based conflict in the Mount Elgon region of Western Kenya, focusing on the emergence and activities of the Sabaot Land Defence Force (SLDF) militia. It examines how colonial land alienation and failed post-colonial resettlement schemes created deep-seated grievances among the Sabaot community, specifically the Soy and Mosop clans. The document details the escalation of violence, the state's transition from police to military intervention (Operation Okoa Maisha), and the resulting human rights abuses committed by both the militia and the Kenyan army.

This strategy report, prepared by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) following a 2006 project inception meeting, outlines a framework for integrating conflict-sensitivity into conservation interventions in the Albertine Rift. Funded by a US$325,000 grant from the MacArthur Foundation, the project aims to prevent conservation NGOs from inadvertently exacerbating conflict and to maximize their potential for peacebuilding. The document analyzes the dual nature of conflict in the region—local disputes arising from resource restrictions and regional armed conflicts—and reviews various analytical tools (such as 'Do No Harm' and 'Peace and Conflict Impact Assessment') to develop a tailored methodology for conservationists.

This research paper examines the political and military instability in the North and South Kivu provinces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) following the May and June 2004 unrest in Bukavu. It analyzes the military campaign led by General Laurent Nkunda, the role of the Transition Government (TG), the influence of Rwanda, and the manipulation of ethnic tensions involving the Tutsi and Banyamulenge communities.

This briefing discusses the impact of oil discoveries off the coast of Western Sahara on the long-standing territorial dispute between Morocco and the Polisario Front. It details the failure of the UN-led referendum process, the geopolitical tensions involving Algeria, France, and the United States, and the legal disputes over oil exploration licenses issued by Morocco in the occupied territory.

This research paper by David H. Shinn analyzes Sudan's strategic position in Africa, focusing on its internal civil war, the economic impact of oil, and its complex bilateral relations with its nine neighboring countries as of March 2003.