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The document examines how valuable minerals can finance violence, trigger local conflicts, and weaken state governance through corruption. It provides lessons learned for development interventions, such as empowering local communities, supporting artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM), and promoting corporate responsibility. The toolkit includes a survey instrument for risk assessment and lists USAID contracting mechanisms and international partners to address mineral-related conflict.

The text argues that Africa has lost its Cold War-era strategic importance, leading to a rise in regional conflicts and state fragility. It discusses a shift toward subregional security arrangements (such as ECOWAS and SADC) as African nations and donors move away from reliance on the UN. The author contends that stability requires a focus on domestic security and 'collaborative security' based on transparency and reassurance rather than collective defense, warning that supporting weak, undemocratic states to provide regional security without international oversight may have negative consequences.

This text is the introductory material for a book titled 'The many faces of human security: Case studies of seven countries in Southern Africa', produced by the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) with funding from the Royal Danish embassy in South Africa. It outlines the collaborative effort between the ISS, the Southern African Peace and Security Network (SAPSNet), and various academic and strategic partners across seven Southern African nations to explore the concept of human security in a region historically dominated by state security priorities.

This research paper provides an overview of United States contributions to peace and security in Africa, focusing on the current period and immediate future. It defines the nature of instability and insecurity on the continent and outlines the various military, economic, and governance-related measures that Americans believe can attenuate these conditions.

This policy brief by the Institute for Security Studies examines the African Union's (AU) strategy to increase troop levels for the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) following suicide bombings in Uganda in July 2010.

This monograph presents a collection of papers from 'Exercise Morning Star', a September 1996 seminar held at the South African Army College. The document provides a general overview of conflict management, peacekeeping, and peacebuilding in Africa, emphasizing that these issues are no longer exclusively military domains and require partnerships between military forces, civil society, and regional bodies.

The document details the upcoming Angolan elections, highlighting opposition complaints regarding voter registration fraud and the CNE's bias toward the ruling MPLA. It notes that the MPLA is expected to win, ensuring President dos Santos remains in power, but warns that systemic issues—including over-reliance on oil, high unemployment, and lack of basic infrastructure—could fuel social unrest.

This research paper by the Institute for Security Studies examines the Regulation of Foreign Military Assistance Bill [B54-97], approved by the South African Cabinet on 30 April 1997. While the authors support the goal of preventing South African citizens and companies from providing unauthorized military services abroad, they argue the Bill's scope is overly broad and grants excessive discretionary power to the Minister of Water and Environmental Affairs, thereby undermining parliamentary oversight.

War veterans in Angola are threatening to disrupt upcoming general elections because they have not received promised monthly pensions, having only received a one-time payment of approximately 500 USD. The document highlights the risk of violent government crackdowns and the potential for veterans to engage in criminal activity due to poor social reintegration. This is framed as part of a wider African trend where ineffective DDR processes, often based on a failing UN framework, leave former combatants without civilian skills, thereby threatening regional stability.

The document examines disarmament as a critical component of disarmament, demobilization and reintegration (DDR) efforts within multinational peace support operations in Africa. It highlights the necessity of assessing local dynamics and sub-regional contexts to address insecurities, using the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) as an example of how national crises spark regional instability. The text reviews the implementation of disarmament programmes in several African nations, noting that while success rates vary, Sierra Leone provides a recent example of successful conclusion. The monograph aims to provide a common framework of analysis by comparing the differing situations in Sierra Leone and the DRC to establish basic requirements for planning and implementing future disarmament programmes in Africa.

The document discusses the paradigm shift within the Southern African Development Community (SADC) regarding the link between stability and economic development. It highlights that member states, including some of the world's poorest nations, recognize that investment and growth require peace and democracy. This recognition has led to the creation of the Organ for Defence, Politics and Security to focus on conflict mediation, preventive diplomacy, and peacekeeping, signaling a move away from absolute sovereignty toward legitimate scrutiny of internal affairs.

The document warns that a proposed Protocol to the Convention on Conventional Weapons (CCW) would allow some countries to continue trading, stockpiling, and using cluster munitions, thereby weakening the international legal standard established by the 2008 Convention on Cluster Munitions (CCM). It highlights that Africa is disproportionately affected by these weapons, with nearly a third of affected countries and territories located on the continent. The author urges African states to maintain their commitment to a total ban to avoid setting a dangerous legal precedent where a lower standard of international law is adopted after a higher one has already been agreed upon.

This research paper by the Institute for Security Studies provides updated scenarios regarding the deteriorating security situation in Angola, focusing on the failure of the Lusaka Peace Accords and the economic instability caused by falling oil prices.

The provided text consists solely of a list of abbreviations for political organizations, military groups, and United Nations missions, primarily focused on Angola, Mozambique, and other international conflict zones.

The document examines the demobilisation and reintegration of military personnel across various African nations, arguing that while downsizing armed forces can potentially free resources for development and serve as a confidence-building measure, the actual impact is not automatic. It highlights that high costs of resettlement and reintegration often offset short-term financial gains. The author emphasizes that successful demobilisation depends heavily on political will, the institutional environment, and the availability of sustainable economic opportunities for ex-combatants to prevent the reoccurrence of conflict.

The report examines the role of arms control, specifically the monitoring of light weapons, as a tool for conflict prevention. It argues that traditional arms control often follows conflict resolution, whereas an early warning approach would identify 'excessive and destabilising' accumulations of weapons before violence erupts. The author proposes a five-element early warning process—information gathering, sharing, analysis, risk identification, and strategic response—and suggests specific monitoring targets such as smuggling networks and state-owned stocks. Using Southern Africa as a primary example, the text highlights the spread of weapons from conflict zones like Angola and Mozambique into neighboring states and advocates for regional cooperation, such as that seen between South Africa and Mozambique in destroying arms caches. The document concludes by recommending that countries improve transparency in arms exports and harmonize regional legislation to curb the flow of light weapons.

The document examines the conceptual dimensions of Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration (DDR), arguing that standard Western models often fail to account for the specificities of sub-Saharan Africa. It highlights the paradox of 'demobilisation without mobilisation' in regions where only minorities were militarised, and discusses the critical role of reintegration's economic and social components. The author further explores interrelated concepts such as the 'peace dividend', conversion, peace-building, and the evolving definition of security, emphasizing that successful DDR is essential for establishing strong political institutions and sustainable development in post-conflict states.

The document is a country fact sheet for Zambia, providing basic data on its location, population, political system, and economic indicators. It lists Zambia's natural resources, including minerals and hydropower, and outlines its constitutional and legal framework based on common law.

The document analyzes the evolution of Disarmament, Demobilization, and Reintegration (DDR) programs in Africa, noting a shift from vague mandates in the late 1990s to highly specific programs by 2004. It emphasizes that DDR must be a voluntary process integrated into a broader national recovery framework, rather than a standalone social driver for peace. Key challenges identified include the 'quantitative' focus on counting soldiers versus the 'qualitative' need to reverse military indoctrination, the risk of DDR becoming a profit-making venture for ex-combatants, and the difficulty of accurate combatant identification. The report recommends a human-rights-based approach to DDR, better cross-border coordination to prevent combatants from moving between conflicts, and the use of strategic communication, particularly radio, to manage public expectations and support reconciliation.

The document provides an analytical account of child soldiering in Africa, focusing on the drivers, roles, and consequences for both boys and girls. It argues that the use of children is a global phenomenon facilitated by the proliferation of light weapons and the nature of modern intra-state civil wars. The author emphasizes that recruitment is often a deliberate military strategy based on the agility and controllability of children, or a result of extreme poverty and state collapse. The text highlights the specific, often invisible, experiences of girl soldiers, who serve as combatants, spies, and forced 'wives'. It concludes that child soldiering creates a 'scarred generation' and a dysfunctional notion of childhood, which in turn alters the culture of the affected societies.