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This report by the Institute for Security Studies examines the African Union's (AU) role in supporting security sector reform (SSR) across its member states. It identifies critical gaps in coordination between the AU and other international partners, as well as internal resource constraints, and proposes strategies to enhance political buy-in, civil society engagement, and institutional alignment to ensure SSR processes are sustainable and reflect national priorities.

The November 2022 Peace & Security Council Report by the Institute for Security Studies examines political instability in Tunisia, counter-terrorism strategies in the Sahel, and the security risks posed by acute food insecurity across Africa.

The 'Landscape of Climate Finance in Africa' report by the Climate Policy Initiative provides a baseline assessment of climate finance flows into and within African countries for 2019 and 2020. It highlights a massive gap between the annual USD 277 billion required to implement Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and the actual annual flows of USD 29.5 billion. The report analyzes the sources, instruments, and sectoral allocations of this finance, noting a heavy reliance on international public funding and a significant under-investment in adaptation and the agriculture, forestry, and other land use (AFOLU) sectors compared to their needs.

The July 2022 Peace & Security Council Report by the Institute for Security Studies examines the complexities of Africa's regional economic communities (RECs), the partnership between the United Nations and the African Union (AU), the identity crisis of the African Standby Force (ASF), and the systemic challenges in eradicating extreme poverty across the continent.

This introduction to a special report by the Institute for Security Studies outlines the socio-economic and ecological challenges facing the Horn of Africa—comprising Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Somalia, Sudan, and South Sudan—and describes the use of the International Futures (IFs) modelling platform to forecast development pathways to 2040.

This background report from the Institute for Security Studies examines the historical, political, and geostrategic context of the Horn of Africa. It details the region's prevalence of inter-state and intra-state conflicts, the impact of forced displacement, and the significant influence of foreign military and economic interests from global powers and Gulf states on regional stability and development.

The report concludes that the Horn of Africa's development is severely hindered by chronic instability, poor governance, and a reliance on primary exports. It argues that while the current trajectory is grim—with high poverty rates in Somalia and South Sudan and fragility in Ethiopia—an 'Integrated Development Push' involving climate-smart agriculture, economic diversification, and regional integration could lead to inclusive growth by 2040.

The report estimates that implementing Africa's NDCs from 2020 to 2030 will cost USD 2.8 trillion, with a funding gap of USD 2.5 trillion. Current annual flows of USD 30 billion meet only 12% of the required USD 250 billion annual need. Mitigation accounts for 66% of needs, while adaptation accounts for 24%, though the latter is likely underestimated.

This report by FSD Africa and Climate Policy Initiative (CPI) analyzes the climate finance needs of African countries based on their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). It estimates that implementing these NDCs between 2020 and 2030 will cost USD 2.8 trillion, with a funding gap of USD 2.5 trillion that must be met by international and private sources. The report highlights significant data gaps in adaptation needs and sectoral disaggregation, and recommends that the UNFCCC provide standardized guidance to help countries develop robust, bottom-up financing roadmaps.

The April 2022 Peace & Security Council Report examines the security crisis in Burkina Faso, the implementation of the African Union's (AU) youth, peace and security agenda, the appointment of the fifth Panel of the Wise, and Senegal's priorities as AU chair.

The Green Economy Coalition (GEC) and partners of The People’s Global Summit issued a statement of solidarity with victims of military violence globally, specifically highlighting the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine and the broader need for a 'New Eco-Social World'.

This report synthesises findings from the Network for Innovative Resilience-Building in South Sudan to identify more effective approaches to peacebuilding and resilience. It argues that durable peace requires a shift from short-term 'quick-fix' activities to long-term, locally-led processes that integrate livelihood support and address the gendered dimensions of food insecurity.

This February 2022 report from the Institute for Security Studies analyzes the composition and challenges of the newly elected African Union Peace and Security Council (PSC), the outcomes of the February 2022 AU Summit regarding governance and conflict prevention, and the ongoing debate over equitable regional representation within the Council. It also examines the tensions between the African Union and the European Union regarding the green energy transition and critiques the application of the principle of subsidiarity in the relationship between the AU and Regional Economic Communities (RECs).

This fact sheet, based on the IPCC's Sixth Assessment Report, details the current and future climate risks for East Africa. It highlights that the region has warmed faster than the global average, leading to increased drought frequency, glacier loss, and severe impacts on food systems, human health, and economic growth. The document outlines adaptation strategies, such as ecosystem-based solutions and climate-smart agriculture, while emphasizing the critical need for increased finance, improved climate literacy, and robust governance to build regional resilience.

The 2021 AU Peace and Security Council (PSC) report notes a positive shift toward addressing climate-induced insecurity but criticizes the council for ignoring governance deficits as root causes of conflict. The report highlights the PSC's response to military coups in Mali, Guinea, and Sudan, while noting a controversial endorsement of a military transition in Chad. Looking toward 2022, it warns of potential electoral violence in Kenya, Angola, and Senegal, and identifies several conflict hotbeds, including Ethiopia and Libya. It also emphasizes the ongoing threat of violent extremism in the Sahel, Lake Chad Basin, and Mozambique, while noting the AU's struggle with member state funding and the need for strategic autonomy.

This policy brief analyzes the relationship between Russia and the three elected African member states (A3) in the UN Security Council (UNSC) from 2014 to 2020. Using statistical voting data, the authors argue that Russia's influence over the A3 is often exaggerated, as African states remain more aligned with the P3 (US, UK, and France) and act largely independently of Russian vetoes and abstentions.

This research paper examines the failure of security sector reform in South Sudan, specifically the inability to unify various armed groups into a single national force. It highlights how a militarised political culture and internal opposition disputes, such as the attempted ouster of Vice President Riek Machar, create instability and hinder the implementation of the 2018 Revitalised Agreement for the Resolution of Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCSS).

The September 2021 Peace & Security Council Report by the Institute for Security Studies examines critical stability challenges across Africa, focusing on the appointment of a high representative for the Horn of Africa, the diplomatic rift between Algeria and Morocco, the prevalence of enforced disappearances, security sector reform failures in South Sudan, and Sudan's decision to surrender Omar al-Bashir to the International Criminal Court.

This report details the results of the third round of financial diaries conducted by BFA Global for the Financial Inclusion for Refugees (FI4R) project in Uganda. The study tracks the financial strategies of refugees in the Bidi Bidi, Palorinya, and Nakivale settlements, focusing on the impact of COVID-19 on income and the potential for digitizing savings group products through partners like VisionFund Uganda, Rural Finance Initiative (RUFI), and Equity Bank Uganda Limited.

This report examines the financial risks faced by African oil and gas producers during the global energy transition, specifically the danger of 'stranded assets' and the vulnerability of National Oil Companies (NOCs). It argues that governments and NOCs often base investment decisions on unrealistic price assumptions and calls for increased transparency and the adoption of Paris Agreement-aligned scenarios to protect public finances.