Search Climate Insights Directory

This monograph by Afua Twum-Danso examines the phenomenon of child soldiering in Africa, challenging the notion that it is a product of African culture. Instead, the author argues that the recruitment and deployment of children are driven by socio-economic instability, political agendas, and pragmatic military strategies. The report provides a comprehensive overview of recruitment methods, the roles children play in conflicts, and the long-term physical and psychological consequences of their participation, with a specific focus on the often-overlooked experiences of girl soldiers.

This policy brief, produced by the Institute for Security Studies as part of the African Futures Project, uses the International Futures (IFs) model to analyze the impact of improving water and sanitation access across Africa. It argues that an aggressive annual improvement rate of just under 2 percentage points could significantly reduce child malnutrition and infant mortality, increase GDP, and lower the probability of state failure by 2050.

This document is a keynote address delivered by Hon. Okello Oryem Henry, Uganda's Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, at a roundtable conference titled "State of the Union 2030: Security Threats and Responses" held in Kampala, Uganda, in July 2009. The address outlines potential security threats facing Africa leading up to 2030 and suggests areas for analysis to inform the African Union's peace and security strategies.

An opening speech by Ambassador W Makanda delivered during South Africa Week, reflecting on South Africa's transition to a non-racial democracy and advocating for negotiation and intellectual discourse over armed conflict to resolve political challenges in Africa and globally.

This research paper by Rocky Williams critiques the application of Western civil-military relations theories to the African context, arguing that formal institutional mechanisms are often insufficient for ensuring civil control. The author proposes a more flexible 'collaborative-partnership' model that integrates both objective (formal/legal) and subjective (informal/relational) forms of control, drawing on evidence from Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries to demonstrate how political partnerships and shared value frameworks maintain stability.

This research paper by Lauren Hutton, published by the Institute for Security Studies in February 2015, interrogates the continued relevance of peacebuilding within external interventions in Africa. The author argues that current peacebuilding efforts are often limited because they fail to address the radical restructuring of political and economic power, instead reinforcing existing inequalities and enabling autocratic governance through the building of state institutions that can be used for predation and control.

This research paper examines the implementation of the Maputo Protocol—the African Union's framework for women's rights—across Africa, with specific case studies on Malawi, South Sudan, Somalia, and Mozambique. It argues that while the protocol provides a critical legal foundation for gender equality and human security, its practical application is hindered by a lack of political will, the persistence of patriarchal customary laws, and systemic barriers to justice and political participation.

This policy brief summarizes the book 'Africa First!' by Jakkie Cilliers, which analyzes the current development trajectory of Africa and proposes a scenario for economic growth and poverty reduction by 2040. The document highlights a growing economic divergence between Africa and the rest of the world, attributing the slow progress to unproductive economic structures, slow demographic transitions, and weak governance.

This policy brief by the Institute for Security Studies examines the intersection of climate change, gender inequality, and human mobility in Africa. It argues that gender-neutral climate policies deepen existing inequalities and that women, despite being key agents of adaptation, face disproportionate risks and barriers to resources, finance, and decision-making.

This policy brief by the Institute for Security Studies analyzes major demographic, economic, technological, urban, and socio-political transitions in Africa through 2035. Using the International Futures forecasting system, the authors highlight a general positive trend but warn that rapid population growth, fragile democratic foundations, and infrastructure gaps may compound poverty and instability if not addressed by strategic governance and investment.

This policy brief examines South Africa's evolving role as a 'norm entrepreneur' in Africa, arguing that while the country initially led the continent in promoting democracy and human rights, its recent foreign policy has become more inward-looking and economically pragmatic.

This preface describes a collaborative publication by the African Centre for Technology Studies (ACTS) and the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) focused on the environmental dimensions and causes of conflicts in Africa, specifically regarding land tenure.

The SA Army Seminar 21, held in November 2006, served as a 'reality check' for the SA Army Vision 2020. Featuring international speakers from the USA, UK, Australia, and Africa, the seminar addressed global and internal security challenges and land operations. The event confirmed requirements for personnel, technology, and doctrine, and the SA Army plans to make the seminar a biennial event to foster collective security in Africa.

The August 2023 issue of the Peace and Security Council Report by the Institute for Security Studies examines the African Union's (AU) struggle to prevent unconstitutional changes of government (UCGs), the need to reform the African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA), the recruitment of child soldiers by ISWAP in the Lake Chad Basin, and the outcomes of the 2023 Russia-Africa Summit.

The October 2023 Peace and Security Council Report by the Institute for Security Studies examines the systemic weaknesses of the African Union (AU), the escalating conflict in Ethiopia's Amhara region, the challenges facing the AU Mission in Somalia (ATMIS), and the broader implications of withdrawing peacekeepers from African conflicts. It also discusses the AU's new membership in the G20.

This January 2013 report from the Institute for Security Studies provides an analysis of peace and security issues across Africa, focusing on the M23 rebellion in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the performance of the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), the state of North African Regional Economic Communities, and the implementation of the Treaty of Pelindaba regarding nuclear-weapon-free zones.

This May 2013 report from the Institute for Security Studies provides an analysis of the African Union's Peace and Security Council (PSC) activities, focusing on the political situation in Zimbabwe, the strategic review of the AMISOM mission in Somalia, and the institutionalization of the Pan-African Network of Sages (PanWise).

This August 2013 report from the Institute for Security Studies provides analysis on several African security crises, focusing on the political instability in Egypt following the ousting of President Mohamed Morsi, the stalled transition in Madagascar, and rising tensions between Frelimo and Renamo in Mozambique. It also examines the African Union's (AU) efforts to establish the African Capacity for Immediate Response to Crisis (ACIRC) to address leadership failures in emergency responses, and the political crisis in South Sudan following the dissolution of its government by President Salva Kiir.

This report from the Institute for Security Studies analyzes the outcomes of the 33rd African Union (AU) Summit in February 2020, focusing on the election of new Peace and Security Council (PSC) members, the AU's role in the Libyan conflict, the terrorist insurgency in Mozambique, and the implementation of the 'Silencing the Guns' theme.

This research paper by Len le Roux argues that South African defence policy, specifically the 1998 Defence Review, is outdated and misaligned with current strategic realities. The author contends that the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) is designed for conventional homeland defence against external aggression, while its actual operational demands have shifted toward expeditionary peace support operations in Africa and internal security support for the police.