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The preface introduces a collaborative research project between the African Centre for Technology Studies (ACTS) and the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) aimed at understanding the links between natural resources, land tenure, and conflict in Africa. It acknowledges the contributions of various researchers, peer reviewers, and informants, specifically noting fieldwork conducted in Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, and Angola. The work was supported by the United States Agency for International Development’s Regional Economic Development and Services Office for Eastern and Southern Africa (REDSO/ESA) and incorporates findings from a December 2004 conference on Land Tenure and Conflict in Africa.

The document provides a structural breakdown of the I Defence and Security Committee (ISDSC), illustrating a hierarchy that descends from a Ministerial Committee to various technical sub-sub-committees. It specifies functional areas such as operations, intelligence, and logistics, and assigns leadership or oversight of specific sub-committees to different member states, including Angola, Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

The report examines the challenges of defence integration in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), arguing that the process is primarily a short-term political measure to end hostilities rather than a purely military reform. It highlights a history of governance deficits, where military professionalism was replaced by clientelism and ethnic representativity, leading to state collapse. The document advocates for a comprehensive approach to security sector reform (SSR) that integrates defence, public service, and business sector reforms to prevent the recurrence of a destructive 'war economy'. It also details a workshop conducted by the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) and Labor Optimus to encourage the DRC's engagement with the SADC Organ for Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation (OPDSC).

The briefing examines the tense pre-electoral environment in Angola, highlighting accusations of election rigging by the MPLA and the potential for social unrest driven by youth and war veterans. It notes the limited influence of SADC and the muted response of international partners like the US and EU, which are driven by strategic and economic interests, particularly oil. The document also emphasizes the need for Angola to diversify its oil-dependent economy to ensure long-term stability.

The text analyzes the emergence of private security companies (PSCs) like Executive Outcomes (EO) in Africa, arguing that they fill a security vacuum left by the failure of the UN and regional organizations. While criticizing PSCs for lacking international mandates and potentially infringing on human rights, the authors suggest that in cases like Angola and Sierra Leone, these actors provided a 'lesser of two evils' by preventing total state collapse and facilitating peace negotiations through the seizure of key financial targets. The document concludes that the trend of privatized peace enforcement reflects broader state weakness and requires greater international vigilance and legal frameworks to curb abuses.

The document examines the demobilisation, disarmament, and reintegration (DD&R) process in Angola following the 2002 military victory of the government over UNITA. It highlights the immense humanitarian challenges, including over four million internally displaced persons, and the government's exclusive control over the DD&R process. The authors detail a research project conducted between 2003 and 2005 in the provinces of Huambo, Huíla, and Bié to assess how ex-combatants transition into civilian life within a context of weak state structures and shattered infrastructure.

The document examines the evolution of environmental security, critiquing 'statist' models that view environmental scarcity primarily as a threat to the state. It proposes a 'human security' framework, specifically applying a Sustainable Livelihoods approach to understand how land access and tenure systems in Africa influence poverty and conflict. The author highlights that in southern Africa, colonial legacies of land dispossession and current 'opportunistic land grabbing' by elites exacerbate insecurity. The paper concludes that sustainable security requires moving beyond technical fixes to address the underlying power imbalances, governance failures, and social injustices that drive environmental and human insecurity.

The report examines Angola's transition from a war-torn state to a market economy, focusing on the critical role of land tenure. It traces the evolution of land laws from the Portuguese colonial era through the socialist post-independence period to the 2004 Land Act. The author highlights a systemic pattern of 'land grabbing' by political and military elites, the marginalisation of rural peasants and women, and the precarious legal status of peri-urban dwellers. It argues that without transparent, inclusive land administration and the recognition of customary rights, the current legislative trajectory risks exacerbating inequality and triggering new conflicts.

The document examines the link between poverty, human insecurity, and conflict in sub-Saharan Africa. It argues that the 'security first' approach of international donors is flawed because it focuses on state security while ignoring the structural economic collapse caused by neo-liberal structural adjustment programmes and unsustainable debt. The author describes 'new wars' in Africa as rational economic responses to exclusion, where warlords utilize global markets for lootable commodities. The paper advocates for a shift toward 'human security' and a significant increase in official development assistance (ODA) to meet Millennium Development Goals, warning that current donor strategies continue to prioritize market liberalization over genuine poverty alleviation.

The author argues that the South African Army's current force design, based on a 'core force' approach and non-offensive posture from the late 1990s, is inadequate for the realities of 'war among the people'. The analysis highlights the rise of China's influence in Africa, the failure of multilateral institutions, and the necessity of shifting toward intelligence-led, psychological operations to avoid the failures seen in peacekeeping missions like Srebrenica. Locally, the army faces challenges from an ageing force structure, loss of key skills, and the impact of the HIV/AIDS epidemic.

The document discusses the psychological and social challenges refugees face, the policy approach of Zambia in integrating refugees with local populations, and the implementation of a peace and conflict resolution training programme. It argues that sustainable repatriation depends on healing 'invisible wounds' and equipping refugees with human relationship skills to prevent conflict upon returning to war-ravaged homelands.

The report examines how insecure land access and the manipulation of land rights contribute to poverty and violent conflict in Sub-Saharan Africa. It highlights the tension between customary and statutory tenure systems and warns that land is often used as a 'resource of conflict' by elites to consolidate power and enforce ethnic divisions. The authors argue for the importance of local governance and field-based empirical research in developing effective land policies and reconciliation efforts.

The document provides a historical analysis of the military forces in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, beginning with the Force Publique under King Léopold II and continuing through the Zairian Armed Forces (FAZ) under President Mobutu. It details the systemic politicisation, tribalisation, and de-professionalisation of the army during the Mobutu era, which led to a breakdown in civil-military relations. The text further examines the conflicts involving the AFDL and the 'First African World War,' culminating in the Inter-Congolese Dialogue and the subsequent efforts to integrate government and rebel forces into a restructured, apolitical national army under the 2003 constitution.

The report examines how land tenure insecurity, scarcity, and the tension between customary and statutory legal systems contribute to both the structural and proximate causes of conflict in Africa. It argues that poverty and the loss of livelihoods are central to the conflict-underdevelopment cycle, and that land often serves as a tool for political struggle among elites or a source of ethnic mobilisation. Through case studies of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Burundi, and Angola, the text highlights the risks of 'formalising' land rights without considering local customs and the importance of multi-sectoral, pro-poor land policies in post-conflict reconstruction.

The report examines the role of youth in Angola's 27-year civil war, arguing that they were not merely passive victims but were actively co-opted and politicised by both the MPLA and UNITA. It details the mechanisms of indoctrination, forced recruitment, and the economic drivers—such as the informal diamond trade—that integrated youth into the war's structure. The author highlights the long-term challenge of reintegrating these 'child-adults' into a society marked by deep political polarisation and a lack of socio-economic opportunity.

The document examines how corruption in the oil, gas, and mining sectors in Africa leads to significant wealth loss through illicit financial flows, tax avoidance, and transfer pricing. It identifies a lack of state capacity, bureaucratic discretion, and political will as primary drivers of these failures. While various international and regional initiatives exist, the author argues they are often ineffective due to low administrative capacity and a focus on 'grand' corruption over systemic issues. The paper highlights Botswana as a successful model of natural resource governance and provides twelve recommendations for technical and institutional capacity building to combat corruption.

The document argues that post-conflict recovery requires a shift from short-term humanitarian relief to a sustainable livelihoods approach that addresses the root causes of conflict, such as poverty, powerlessness, and the loss of assets. It examines the 'deadly triad' of food insecurity, HIV/AIDS, and conflict, and provides frameworks for analyzing household vulnerability and the political economy of war. Case studies from Angola, Sudan, Mozambique, and Uganda illustrate the importance of integrating emergency relief with long-term developmental support, particularly for internally displaced persons (IDPs) and the urban poor.

The report analyzes the evolution of the Forum on China–Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) from its inception in 2000 through the 2006 Beijing summit. It argues that FOCAC provides a 'win-win' framework for South-South cooperation, contrasting China's pragmatic, non-interference approach with Western conditional aid. The document details China's economic model, its strategic need for African raw materials (particularly oil), and the specific financial commitments made to African infrastructure, health, and debt relief. It concludes that while China offers significant opportunities for growth, African nations must improve their own governance and strategic coordination to maximize these benefits.

The report examines the theft of gold and platinum group metals (PGMs) in South Africa between 1994 and 1999. It highlights a significant gap between detected recoveries and estimated undetected losses, particularly for gold, where undetected theft is estimated at 35 tons per year. The document details the hierarchical structure of criminal syndicates, the challenges faced by the South African Police Service (SAPS) Diamond and Gold Branch—including resource shortages and corruption—and the economic threat to the mining industry's profitability and employment.

This research paper examines disarmament as a critical pillar of peace-building in Africa, contrasting the successful model in Sierra Leone with the ongoing challenges in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It argues that disarmament must be integrated into broader political settlements and national recovery strategies, emphasizing the need for comprehensive planning, inclusive lead agencies, and the addressing of 'special groups' like child soldiers. The text highlights the shift from traditional peacekeeping to multifunctional peace support operations and the increasing role of regional bodies in managing African conflicts.