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Untitled Document
This monograph, edited by Hussein Solomon and published by the Institute for Security Studies in May 1997, examines the evolution, principles, and challenges of South African foreign policy following the transition to democracy in 1994. It analyzes the tension between the government's declared commitment to human rights and democracy and its pragmatic bilateral relations with states such as Cuba, Libya, and the People's Republic of China. The text explores South Africa's role as a regional hegemon in Southern Africa, its engagement with the African continent, and the theoretical debate over whether it should pursue 'middle power' or 'co-operative' leadership.
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Document type: Report
Untitled Document
This report, compiled by the Institute for Security Studies and funded by the Canadian Government, provides the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) with a survey of peacekeeping training efforts across nine African countries. It identifies a critical lack of common doctrine and standardised training, recommending that the OAU establish a Pan-African policy and a dedicated civilian-military advisory capacity to coordinate peace support operations.
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Document type: Report
Untitled Document
This monograph captures the proceedings of a seminar held in Pretoria on 18-19 April 2000, titled "Security in Africa: French and South African Perspectives." The document explores the intersection of national identity, human security, governance, and economic development, with a specific focus on the evolving roles of France and South Africa in African security. It analyzes various conflict zones, including the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Lesotho, and West Africa, while evaluating the effectiveness of regional and international intervention frameworks such as the UN, OAU, SADC, and ECOWAS.
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Document type: Report
Microsoft Word - AF.Futures.PolBrief1[final].docx
This policy brief, produced by the Institute for Security Studies as part of the African Futures Project, uses the International Futures (IFs) model to analyze the impact of improving water and sanitation access across Africa. It argues that an aggressive annual improvement rate of just under 2 percentage points could significantly reduce child malnutrition and infant mortality, increase GDP, and lower the probability of state failure by 2050.
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Document type: Policy brief
Mapping a new African civil-military relations architecture
This research paper by Rocky Williams critiques the application of Western civil-military relations theories to the African context, arguing that formal institutional mechanisms are often insufficient for ensuring civil control. The author proposes a more flexible 'collaborative-partnership' model that integrates both objective (formal/legal) and subjective (informal/relational) forms of control, drawing on evidence from Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries to demonstrate how political partnerships and shared value frameworks maintain stability.
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Document type: Research paper
paper281-40d28d0b5e8dbcf5.pdf
This research paper by Lauren Hutton, published by the Institute for Security Studies in February 2015, interrogates the continued relevance of peacebuilding within external interventions in Africa. The author argues that current peacebuilding efforts are often limited because they fail to address the radical restructuring of political and economic power, instead reinforcing existing inequalities and enabling autocratic governance through the building of state institutions that can be used for predation and control.
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Document type: Research paper
pb-146-german2-e39bc015d867cf05.pdf
This policy brief summarizes the book 'Africa First!' by Jakkie Cilliers, which analyzes the current development trajectory of Africa and proposes a scenario for economic growth and poverty reduction by 2040. The document highlights a growing economic divergence between Africa and the rest of the world, attributing the slow progress to unproductive economic structures, slow demographic transitions, and weak governance.
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Document type: Policy brief
African futures: key trends to 2035
This policy brief by the Institute for Security Studies analyzes major demographic, economic, technological, urban, and socio-political transitions in Africa through 2035. Using the International Futures forecasting system, the authors highlight a general positive trend but warn that rapid population growth, fragile democratic foundations, and infrastructure gaps may compound poverty and instability if not addressed by strategic governance and investment.
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Document type: Policy brief
Is South Africa a norm entrepreneur in Africa?
This policy brief examines South Africa's evolving role as a 'norm entrepreneur' in Africa, arguing that while the country initially led the continent in promoting democracy and human rights, its recent foreign policy has become more inward-looking and economically pragmatic.
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Document type: Policy brief
Peace and Security Council Report No 160
The August 2023 issue of the Peace and Security Council Report by the Institute for Security Studies examines the African Union's (AU) struggle to prevent unconstitutional changes of government (UCGs), the need to reform the African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA), the recruitment of child soldiers by ISWAP in the Lake Chad Basin, and the outcomes of the 2023 Russia-Africa Summit.
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Document type: Report
Peace and Security Council Report 79
The Peace and Security Council (PSC) Report Issue 79 analyzes several African security crises, including institutional instability in Guinea-Bissau, the military approach to al-Shabaab in Somalia, contested elections in Chad and the Republic of Congo, and the AU's diplomatic efforts in Burundi. It also features an interview with Ambassador Frederic Ngoga Gateretse on early warning systems and structural conflict prevention.
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Document type: Report
9244 ISS PSC Report 74_Eng.indd
This October 2015 report from the Institute for Security Studies examines the relationship between the African Union (AU) and the United Nations (UN), focusing on peacekeeping funding, counter-terrorism efforts, and specific crises in South Sudan, Mali, and Somalia. It also analyzes the risks associated with a series of upcoming elections across the African continent.
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Document type: Report
Peace and Security Council Report No 121
This report from the Institute for Security Studies analyzes the outcomes of the 33rd African Union (AU) Summit in February 2020, focusing on the election of new Peace and Security Council (PSC) members, the AU's role in the Libyan conflict, the terrorist insurgency in Mozambique, and the implementation of the 'Silencing the Guns' theme.
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Document type: Report
Microsoft Word - Document1
This 2002 situation report by the Institute for Security Studies provides a detailed overview of refugee and internally displaced person (IDP) populations across Africa. It defines the legal distinctions between refugees and IDPs, provides statistical data on populations of concern to the UNHCR as of 2000/2001, and analyzes regional trends in displacement driven by conflict, drought, and economic decline.
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Document type: Report
Transnational Organised Crime and National and International Security: A Global Assessment
This research paper examines the rise of transnational organised crime (TCOs) as a global security threat, analyzing how globalisation and the erosion of state authority have facilitated the growth of criminal networks. It explores the relationship between TCOs and various state types—particularly weak and transitional states—and provides a typology of state roles in facilitating or combating illicit activities. The document details the operational characteristics of TCOs, including their use of ethnic networks and risk management strategies, and assesses the specific threats they pose to national security, financial systems, and human rights.
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Document type: Research paper
Preventing extremism in West and Central Africa
This report by the Institute for Security Studies examines the design, implementation, and evaluation of preventing and countering violent extremism (P/CVE) projects across six countries in West and Central Africa. Based on data from 133 projects, it identifies a significant gap between global policy and local practice, noting that while there is high investment in community-based initiatives, there is a critical lack of evidence-based evaluation and a failure to address the broader structural drivers of extremism.
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Document type: Report
14.02.14.WB-let-with-BIC.pdf
A letter dated February 24, 2014, addressed to World Bank President Jim Yong Kim from a coalition of 168 organizations and individuals, urging the revival of B-SPAN, the Bank's Internet-based webcasting system.
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Document type: Statement
MANUEL SUR L’ACTION CLIMATIQUE
The 'Manuel sur l’action climatique' is a guide published by Natural Justice designed to strengthen climate resilience in Senegal through legal empowerment. It provides communities with a framework to understand climate change, identify their specific vulnerabilities, and utilize political and legal instruments to defend their rights and protect the environment.
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Document type: Guide
presentation-de-natural-justice-11988d4e33d18296.pdf
This document is a presentation by Natural Justice (NJ), an African organization dedicated to social and environmental justice. It outlines the organization's mission to protect the collective rights of indigenous peoples and local communities through a "Litigation Plus" approach, which integrates legal empowerment, research, policy influence, and strategic litigation. The document details NJ's activities in 2024, highlighting legal victories against extractive industries, efforts to secure land tenure, and the protection of environmental defenders across Africa.
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Document type: Report
The Three Ps
This guide by Natural Justice outlines a Just Energy Transition (JET) framework for African communities based on the "Three Ps": Principles, Policies and laws, and Practicalities. It advocates for energy democracy, community-owned renewable energy, and the application of environmental and restorative justice to ensure that the transition to clean energy does not repeat historical patterns of exploitation. The framework emphasizes the necessity of Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC), the right to a healthy environment, and the need for climate reparations and grants from the Global North to address energy inequality and historical carbon emissions.
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Document type: Guide