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This briefing by the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA) analyzes China's preferential trade policy for African Least Developed Countries (LDCs). While the policy is designed to align with the export capacities of these nations, the author argues that its economic impact is modest compared to its symbolic and diplomatic value in signaling China's rise as a global power and alternative to Western donors.

This briefing by Theresa Whelan, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Africa, explains the rationale and intended structure of the U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM). It argues that the command is a necessary shift from Cold War-era organizational structures to a 21st-century approach that prioritizes security capacity building, prevention, and inter-agency cooperation to support African stability and U.S. national security.

This briefing by Dr M Masiiwa of the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA) analyzes the strategic options for Zimbabwe as it faces a choice between joining the proposed Customs Unions of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) or the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA). While Zimbabwe has stronger existing trade links and political ties with SADC, the document suggests a preference for COMESA due to its larger market, more balanced economic competition, and faster pace of integration.

This research paper examines the root causes, obstacles, and potential peace-building strategies for the Somali conflict. The authors argue that the civil war, which began after the ousting of General Mohamed Siad Barre in 1991, is driven by competition for power and resources, state repression, and a colonial legacy, further exacerbated by politicized clan identities and the availability of weapons. The paper identifies Ethiopia's hostile foreign policy and the interests of local warlords as primary obstacles to peace and proposes a comprehensive strategy involving security, clan-based power-sharing, economic redevelopment, and Islam-informed peace education.

This fact sheet provides a list of countries that have signed, ratified, or acceded to the African Union (AU) Convention on the Prevention and Combating of Terrorism as of 23 June 2006.

A fact sheet from the Institute for Security Studies detailing the number of military observers, troops, and police contributed by 32 African countries to UN peacekeeping missions as of the end of April 2006.

This conference report, prepared by Masiiwa Rusare of the Trade & Development Studies Centre (TRADES Centre), documents a regional meeting held in September 2005 in Harare, Zimbabwe. The event focused on the experiences of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and Eastern and Southern Africa (ESA) in negotiating Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) with the European Union (EU). The report details the institutional structures of the negotiations, areas of convergence and divergence between the two regional blocs and the EU, the specific interests of South Africa, and the challenges of integrating non-state actors and the poor into the trade process.

This research paper examines the development and operationalization of the Continental Early Warning System (CEWS) within the African Union (AU). It distinguishes early warning from traditional state intelligence, emphasizing a focus on human security and open-source data. The document reviews the transition from the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) to the AU, the legal framework of the Peace and Security Council (PSC), and the varying stages of early warning system implementation across regional economic communities in West, Central, Southern, and East Africa.

This discussion paper by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) analyzes the rise of unsolicited proposals (USPs) in infrastructure procurement. It synthesizes findings from a Public-Private Infrastructure Advisory Facility (PPIAF) report, highlighting the risks USPs pose to transparency and value-for-money, and provides recommendations for governments to establish robust management frameworks. The paper specifically examines the tension between the expediency of USPs and the principles of sustainable public procurement (SPP), which emphasizes life-cycle costs and strategic needs analysis.

This research paper by Jakkie Cilliers for the Institute for Security Studies analyzes Africa's demographic transition, focusing on the 'demographic window of opportunity' defined by a worker-to-dependant ratio of 1.7:1. It details the varying timelines for different African regions to reach this threshold and the systemic requirements needed to convert population growth into economic dividends.

This report provides development forecasts for the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) up to 2043. It compares a 'Current Path' trajectory—based on existing policies—against various sectoral scenarios and a 'Combined Agenda 2063' scenario, analyzing impacts on GDP, poverty, demographics, and carbon emissions.

This document is an introductory report from the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) regarding a conference held on 31 May 2011. The conference aimed to analyze the 2011 North African revolutions and generate policy responses to peace and security challenges to support democratization and human security in the region.

This briefing by the Institute for Security Studies examines the isolation of the Eritrean regime, detailing its strained relations with the international community, conflicts with neighboring states, and the economic impact of international sanctions and restrictions.

This briefing by the Institute for Security Studies analyzes the fragile state of Somalia in early 2005 following the election of President Abdullahi Yusuf. It details the complex geopolitical maneuvering between the Transitional National Government (TNG) and the Ethiopian-backed Somali Reconciliation and Reconstruction Council (SRRC), the role of IGAD states in the peace process, and the significant challenges the new transitional government faces in establishing authority, including dependence on external support and internal factionalism.

This report, prepared by the Chairperson of the African Union Commission for a special session in Tripoli, provides a comprehensive overview of the challenges to peace and security in Africa. It details the institutional framework of the African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA), the economic and human costs of conflict, and the status of various regional crises, including those in Somalia, Sudan, and the Great Lakes region. The document emphasizes the need for African ownership of peace efforts, the importance of structural conflict prevention, and the strengthening of partnerships with international bodies like the UN and EU.

This document consists of a series of resolutions and declarations adopted by the Council of Ministers and the Conference of Heads of State and Government of the Organization of African Unity (OAU) during its 23rd Ordinary Session held in Mogadishu, Somalia, from June 6 to 15, 1974. The resolutions cover a wide range of geopolitical, economic, and social issues, including the decolonization of Portuguese, Spanish, British, and French territories, the fight against apartheid in South Africa and Namibia, the management of drought in Africa, and the establishment of various pan-African technical and administrative bodies.

This document consists of Annex VI and three Protocols of an agreement between the European Community and ACP (African, Caribbean, and Pacific) States. It defines the lists of least-developed, landlocked, and island ACP States, establishes rules for the operating expenditure and privileges of joint institutions, and outlines the qualified status of South Africa's participation in the agreement.

This policy brief by the Institute for Security Studies argues for the establishment of an IGAD Regional Maritime Council (RMC) to address underdeveloped maritime trade, high operational costs, and infrastructural deficits in the Intergovernmental Authority on Development region.

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).

The Nairobi Protocol, signed on April 21, 2004, is a regional agreement among eleven states in the Great Lakes Region and the Horn of Africa to prevent, control, and reduce the proliferation of illicit small arms and light weapons (SALW). It establishes comprehensive legal, operational, and administrative frameworks to combat illicit manufacturing and trafficking, regulate civilian and state ownership, and enhance sub-regional cooperation through information sharing and mutual legal assistance.