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This report examines the challenges of reintegrating Boko Haram deserters in the Lake Chad Basin, advocating for a shift from purely military responses to a comprehensive 'desertion, de-incentivisation, rehabilitation and reintegration' (DDRR) framework. It emphasizes the need for regional coordination, community-sensitive approaches, and the demobilization of local vigilante groups to ensure sustainable interim stabilisation.

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 August 2018 Peace & Security Council Report by the Institute for Security Studies examines several African Union (AU) challenges, including the shift in the AU's approach to Western Sahara, tensions over LGBTI rights and the independence of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, institutional friction between the AU and the Southern African Development Community (SADC), and the need for non-military stabilisation strategies in the Lake Chad basin to combat Boko Haram.

This report by the Public Affairs Research Institute (PARI) and Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES) South Africa examines the role of taxation in state-society relations within sub-Saharan Africa, specifically focusing on South Africa, Mozambique, and Cameroon. The authors argue that the effectiveness of a tax system depends not only on institutional design but also on the socio-political dynamics and societal perceptions that influence tax morale and voluntary compliance.

This report describes a stakeholder consultation process conducted by the Cameroon Climate Change Working Group under the African Climate Legislation Initiative (ACLI) to develop a 'bottom-up' approach to climate legislation in Cameroon. The process aimed to identify priority areas for regulatory intervention and address the concerns of climate-vulnerable groups to avoid purely 'top-down' legislation.

This March 2018 report from the Institute for Security Studies analyzes the African Union's Peace and Security Council (PSC), focusing on its struggles to implement counter-terrorism frameworks, funding crises facing the AMISOM mission in Somalia, constitutional disputes in Burundi, and structural instability in the CEMAC region of Central Africa.

This report summarizes progress toward Goal 10 of the New York Declaration on Forests, which focuses on strengthening forest governance, transparency, and the rule of law, while empowering indigenous peoples and local communities. It details developments in producer and consumer countries regarding illegal timber trade, the rising violence against environmental defenders, and the status of financial resources and data collection for land tenure security.

This report details a regional training workshop on the management of artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) held in Yaoundé, Cameroon, from February 26 to March 1, 2018. Organized by the Intergovernmental Forum on Mining (IGF) in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the event gathered over 50 public and private sector officials from 17 French-speaking African countries to implement the 'IGF Guide for Governments: Managing Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining'.

This report by the Institute for Security Studies analyzes the political and economic instability within the Central African Economic and Monetary Community (CEMAC) region. It examines how a decline in global commodity prices, coupled with neo-patrimonial governance and rapid population growth, creates a volatile environment. The authors use the International Futures (IFs) system to forecast trends up to 2040, warning that without significant investments in human capital and democratic reform, the region faces increased risks of instability and violence.

This briefing by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) examines the emergence of agricultural growth poles (agropoles) and corridors in Africa. It describes these as coordinated investments in infrastructure and industry designed to transition African agriculture from subsistence to commercial systems. The document outlines the operational challenges facing these projects, the necessity of robust legal frameworks to avoid creating 'enclaves', and a three-step model (vision, design, and implementation) for ensuring responsible and sustainable development.

This policy brief by the Institute for Security Studies examines the African Union's (AU) efforts to engage youth in democratic governance. It argues that while normative frameworks like the African Youth Charter and the African Governance Architecture–Youth Engagement Strategy (AGA–YES) exist, there is a significant gap between these theoretical rights and the practical reality for young Africans, who often face unemployment and political marginalisation.

This policy briefing by the South African Institute of International Affairs examines electoral trends in Africa based on elections held in 2015 and early 2016. While noting progress in democratic institution building since the 1990s, the authors identify four critical trends—constitutional manipulation, electoral calendar tampering, harassment of opposition, and low voter turnout—that threaten to reverse democratic gains. The document advocates for stricter adherence to African Union (AU) and Regional Economic Community (REC) standards to ensure credible and inclusive elections.

The Reporting for Results-based REDD+ (RRR+) project is a three-year initiative (2017-2019) led by the Coalition for Rainforest Nations (CfRN) and the Climate and Development Knowledge Network (CDKN). It aims to build the capacity of 21 tropical and subtropical forest countries to measure and report greenhouse gas emissions and carbon stocks in agriculture, forestry, and other land use (AFOLU) to the UNFCCC, thereby enabling them to access results-based REDD+ finance.

This guide describes ENACT (Enhancing Africa’s capacity to respond more effectively to transnational organised crime), a three-year European Union-funded programme implemented by the Institute for Security Studies, INTERPOL, and the Global Initiative against Transnational Organised Crime. The project aims to mitigate the impact of transnational organised crime (TOC) on Africa's governance, security, and development through evidence-based analysis, capacity building for policymakers and law enforcement, and the creation of regional monitoring hubs.

This policy brief by the Institute for Security Studies examines the increasing trend of Boko Haram targeting displaced persons, including refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs), as part of a strategic shift toward 'soft' targets.

The document summarizes the conclusions of a seminar held on 9 December 2016 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, focused on assistance and capacity-building for the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1540, disarmament, and non-proliferation of chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) weapons in Africa.

This report provides a 2016 progress update on the first ten goals of the New York Declaration on Forests (NYDF). It evaluates global trends in natural forest loss, private sector commitments to deforestation-free supply chains, restoration pledges under the Bonn Challenge and UNFCCC, and the evolution of international climate finance and forest governance.

This briefing by Friends of the Earth International advocates for a legally binding UN treaty to hold transnational corporations (TNCs) accountable for human rights and environmental violations, specifically highlighting systemic impunity and access-to-justice barriers in Africa.

This research paper examines the conflict between international regulatory norms, such as the CITES ivory trade ban, and the diverse local values held by communities in elephant range states and consumer markets. Using Cameroon's Congo River basin and Southern African states as primary examples, the authors argue that ignoring local societal values and the impacts of globalisation can lead to adverse reactions, undermining long-term conservation goals.

This learning brief details a capacity development programme focused on water security and climate resilient development across eight African countries, highlighting the investment in learning materials and the resulting increase in initiatives to integrate climate change into national planning.