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This research paper by the South African Institute of International Affairs examines the potential of bond markets as an alternative to bank loans for financing large-scale infrastructure projects in Africa. It details various bond types—including municipal, corporate, sovereign, diaspora, and Islamic bonds—and analyzes the current state of bond markets in South Africa, Nigeria, and Kenya. The author argues that while bonds offer lower borrowing costs and avoid equity dilution, their growth in Africa is hindered by underdeveloped secondary markets, weak regulatory frameworks, and a lack of institutional investors.

This policy briefing examines the South African government's position on the 'responsibility to protect' (R2P) framework, noting that while South Africa supports the principle of protecting civilians, it lacks a clearly articulated policy and prefers a moderate approach focused on dialogue and conflict prevention over military intervention.

This research paper examines the capacity of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) to implement post-conflict reconstruction and development (PCRD) and explores how South Africa can leverage its membership to strengthen these activities. The author argues that SADC is currently constrained by a state-centric approach to security, structural silos, and a lack of institutional capacity, leaving PCRD responsibilities to individual member states. By comparing SADC with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the paper suggests that SADC needs to adopt a more holistic, human-security-based approach and improve its coordination with the African Union (AU) and international donors.

This policy brief by the Institute for Security Studies examines the African Union's (AU) adoption of the Convention on Cyber Security and Personal Data Protection. It argues that while the convention is a positive step, African states face significant hurdles in ratification and implementation due to capacity gaps, free speech concerns, and the global nature of cybercrime.

This guide argues that States have extraterritorial obligations (ETOs) to protect human rights from environmental destruction and climate change. Using the Maastricht Principles, it asserts that States must regulate transnational corporations and cooperate internationally to prevent transboundary harm, citing examples such as illegal logging in tropical forests and hazardous shipbreaking in Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan.

This research paper analyzes the 2014 Protocol on Amendments to the Protocol on the Statute of the African Court of Justice and Human Rights (ACJHPR Amendment), specifically focusing on a provision that grants immunity from prosecution to serving African Union (AU) heads of state and senior officials. The author argues that this immunity provision is a symbolic reaction to the International Criminal Court's (ICC) focus on Africa and is contradictory to the AU's own constitutive principles and other regional agreements.

This policy briefing by the South African Institute of International Affairs analyzes the behavior and voting patterns of African states within the UN Human Rights Council (HRC) between July 2010 and July 2014. It highlights a tension between the African Group's organized coordination and its diverse, often inconsistent, responses to human rights violations both within Africa and globally.

This research paper analyzes the potential costs and benefits for Ethiopia of joining the COMESA Free Trade Area (FTA). It finds that Ethiopia's infant manufacturing sector is not yet competitive and that joining the FTA could increase net unemployment. However, it notes that Ethiopia is successfully expanding economic cooperation in energy and transport with neighbors such as Kenya, Sudan, Djibouti, and South Sudan, suggesting that bilateral relations may be more beneficial than formal trade liberalization.

The August 2014 Peace & Security Council (PSC) Report by the Institute for Security Studies analyzes the African Union's (AU) response to crises in Mali and Nigeria, the operationalization of the PSC's counter-terrorism sub-committee, and ongoing reviews of the Council's internal working methods.

This policy brief by the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) analyzes the 2014 South African Defence Review. It describes the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) as being in a state of critical decline and evaluates the financial feasibility of the government's long-term plan to rejuvenate the military by 2034. The author argues that the review's expansive mandate is out of step with the available budget and suggests a more focused approach centered on peacekeeping and a 'growth core' concept.

This policy briefing by the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA) examines the architecture of extractive governance in Africa, focusing on the Africa Mining Vision (AMV) and the African Minerals Development Centre (AMDC). It argues that for these African-led initiatives to succeed, they must integrate ground-level research, avoid duplication of efforts, and leverage the experience of existing global and multilateral frameworks.

This policy brief by the Institute for Security Studies examines South Africa's post-conflict development and peacebuilding engagements in South Sudan. It highlights the historical ties between the ANC and SPLM, evaluates various capacity-building and economic interventions, and argues for a more coordinated, strategic approach aligned with African Union frameworks to ensure sustainable impact and local ownership.

This policy briefing examines the evolving governance-based relationship between China and South Sudan, arguing that the ability of both nations to move beyond oil-centric ties depends on overcoming administrative capacity gaps and establishing formal institutional mechanisms for development finance.

This research paper analyzes Ethiopia's foreign policy and domestic transition following the death of Prime Minister Meles Zenawi. It argues that while Ethiopia has maintained economic growth and regional security stability, its ability to play a more strategic and transformational role in the Horn of Africa is hindered by a gap between its stated democratic doctrines and its domestic political reality.

This policy brief examines the African Union's (AU) security framework, its transition from the non-interventionist norms of the OAU, and its evolving partnership with the United Nations (UN) to maintain peace and security in Africa.

The February 2013 Peace and Security Council (PSC) Report by the Institute for Security Studies provides analysis on critical security threats and political transitions across Africa. It focuses heavily on the upcoming general elections in Kenya, the military intervention and political transition in Mali, and the protection of women and children in armed conflict. Additionally, it reviews the outcomes of the 20th AU Assembly summit, including discussions on the Democratic Republic of Congo, Sudan, South Sudan, Guinea-Bissau, and Somalia.

This briefing is a concept note for a conference titled "The APRM +10: Reviewing a Decade of Peer Learning and Projecting a Future of Governance in Africa," scheduled for May 17–18, 2013, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The event aims to bring together African civil society organisations (CSOs) and governance structures to appraise the first ten years of the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) and plan for its second decade.

This briefing from the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) reports on a suspected coup attempt in Sudan in November 2012, detailing the arrests of high-ranking officials and analyzing the internal political and economic pressures facing President Omar al-Bashir's government.

This research paper examines the application of the 'complementarity' principle in Africa, arguing that a broader, 'positive' understanding of the concept—where domestic courts, regional bodies, and civil society actively fill impunity gaps—is essential for the success of international criminal justice on the continent.

The October 2012 Peace and Security Council Report by the Institute for Security Studies provides detailed country analyses of Somalia, South Sudan, and Côte d’Ivoire, focusing on political transitions, security vulnerabilities, and the role of regional and international bodies in stabilizing these nations.