Search Climate Insights Directory

This research paper by Kithure Kindiki examines the legal and policy challenges surrounding the atrocities in Darfur, arguing that the scale of human rights violations justifies forcible humanitarian intervention despite claims of state sovereignty by the Government of Sudan.

This briefing by Festus B Aboagye of the Institute for Security Studies questions the efficacy of humanitarian interventions in Africa, arguing that they often fail to address root causes of conflict and may inadvertently prolong violence. The author suggests that non-intervention, allowing conflicts to reach a military conclusion, could be a more durable alternative in certain contexts.

This monograph analyzes the police component of the AU-UN Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID), focusing on its mandated roles, the challenges of protecting civilians, and the training of both UNAMID personnel and Sudanese government police and community policing volunteers.

This monograph examines the evolving relationship between the African Union (AU) and the International Criminal Court (ICC), focusing on the transition from early support to current tensions highlighted by the arrest warrant for Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir.

This report describes an international conference organized by the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) and the Embassy of the People's Republic of China in Ethiopia to examine and enhance cooperation between China and the African Union (AU) regarding peace and security in Africa.

This research paper analyzes the failure of the United Nations' Responsibility to Protect (R2P) framework in Darfur, arguing that the government of Sudan has successfully exploited divisions within the UN Security Council to prioritize state sovereignty over the protection of vulnerable populations.

A briefing by the Institute for Security Studies regarding President Joyce Banda's commitment to cooperate with the International Criminal Court (ICC) regarding Sudanese President Omar Al-Bashir, alongside domestic political and legal developments in Malawi.

This research paper examines the political stalemate in Sudan following the October 2021 military coup. It analyzes the challenges facing a trilateral mediation mechanism—comprising the UN, AU, and IGAD—as it attempts to bridge deep divisions between the military junta and fragmented civilian opposition groups to establish a legitimate government and a transition plan.

This research paper examines the legal responsibility for international law violations in Sudan's Darfur region since 2003, arguing that both the Sudanese state and specific individuals must be held accountable to end impunity.

This briefing by the Institute for Security Studies examines the challenges surrounding the planned 2020 exit of the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID) following the April 2019 military coup in Sudan. The author argues that the current security environment and the lack of a legitimate civilian government make handing over protection responsibilities to the Transitional Military Council untenable.

This research paper examines the Darfur conflict, arguing that simplistic media representations and international activism often overlook the deep-seated structural, political, and resource-based causes of the violence. The author contends that a focus on 'mass atrocity' statistics and international 'conflict management' can undermine local agency and the pursuit of an inclusive Sudanese state.

This briefing by the Institute for Security Studies analyzes the Darfur Peace Agreement (DPA) signed on 5 May 2006. It argues that the conflict in Darfur is not merely a result of tribalism or ecological degradation, but is rooted in the broader struggle for power in Khartoum and a history of national marginalization. The document details the failures of the DPA to achieve broad legitimacy among rebel factions, the challenges facing the African Union Mission (AMIS), and the intricate links between the Darfur crisis and the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) between North and South Sudan.

This synthesis report by the Training for Peace (TfP) research network examines the roles, challenges, and differences between African Union (AU) and United Nations (UN) policing in peace support operations (PSOs) in Africa. Based on research from missions in Somalia, Darfur, and Mali, the report analyzes the functions of individual police officers (IPOs) and formed police units (FPUs), highlighting the need for context-specific training and guidelines for stabilization environments.

This research paper outlines the systemic challenges of studying crime and criminal justice in Africa, emphasizing the impact of political repression, the legacy of colonialism, and the scarcity of reliable official data. It highlights how 'African solidarity' can lead to non-compliance with international legal protocols and suggests that regional cooperation through the African Union and SARPCCO offers a path toward greater transparency and institutionalized research.

This guide provides an overview of the International Criminal Court (ICC), detailing its legal foundations under the Rome Statute, its jurisdictional limits, its institutional structure, and its early investigations in Africa and elsewhere.

This report documents a seminar held on 1 October 2008 in Pretoria, featuring a presentation by General Martin Luther Agwai, the UNAMID Force Commander. General Agwai discusses the complexities of the conflict in Darfur, the transition from the African Union Mission in Sudan (AMIS) to the AU-UN Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID), and the significant operational and logistical challenges facing the mission.

This report details an Institute for Security Studies (ISS) seminar held on February 12, 2009, in Addis Ababa, which analyzed the outcomes of the 12th Ordinary Summit of the African Union (AU). The seminar featured presentations on the low implementation rates of AU Assembly Decisions, legal challenges regarding the proposed transformation of the AU Commission into an Authority, and the AU's response to the International Criminal Court's (ICC) indictment of the President of Sudan.

This trainer's guide provides a comprehensive curriculum for the EAPCCO United Nations Police Officers Course (UNPOC), designed to prepare police personnel for deployment in UN and African Union (AU) peace support operations. It covers the institutional frameworks of the UN and AU, the 'Capstone Doctrine' for peacekeeping, legal frameworks, human rights, and operational techniques such as negotiation, radio communication, and safety awareness. The guide includes theoretical modules, case studies on conduct and discipline, and a detailed field exercise called 'Furugo Kali' to simulate real-world mission scenarios.

A letter dated 4 October 2013 from 130 African civil society and international organisations urging African foreign ministers to support the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the Rome Statute during an African Union (AU) extraordinary summit on 11 and 12 October 2013.

This briefing by the Institute for Security Studies analyzes the October 2006 Eastern Sudan Peace Agreement (EPA) between the Government of Sudan and the Eastern Front. The author argues that the Sudanese government's strategy of signing separate regional peace agreements—in the south, west, and east—serves to reinforce the primacy of the ruling National Congress Party (NCP) and bypasses the development of accountable national politics. The document details the socio-economic marginalization of the Beja and Rashaida peoples, the strategic importance of Port Sudan, and the specific political and financial terms of the EPA.