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The Institute for Security Studies criticizes the South African government's Green Paper on Policing for its lack of transparency and public participation, arguing that the closed process misses an opportunity to rebuild trust between the South African Police Service (SAPS) and the public. The author advocates for a comprehensive, open consultative process similar to the one adopted by Kenya in 2009 to address systemic policing issues and public mistrust.

A briefing detailing a visit by US and UK envoys to Mogadishu to discuss the end of Somalia's transition period and allegations of corruption within the transitional government, alongside US sanctions and bounty strategies against peace process saboteurs and Al-Shabaab leaders.

This introductory text for Monograph 6, edited by Hussein Solomon, examines the intersection of water scarcity and security, with a specific focus on Southern Africa. It argues that dwindling fresh water resources, coupled with rapid population growth, increase the risk of resource-based conflict, while suggesting that regional cooperation and frameworks like the SADC Protocol on Shared Watercourse Systems offer a path toward stability.

This briefing by the Institute for Security Studies examines the security and stability challenges facing South Sudan following the 2011 referendum for self-determination, highlighting risks from ethnic rivalry, economic dependency on Khartoum, and the need for security sector reform.

This research paper examines the drivers of radicalisation and recruitment for al-Shabaab in Somalia, based on interviews with former fighters, to inform counter-terrorism strategies.

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 briefing by the Institute for Security Studies examines the proliferation of competing peace initiatives in Sudan since the conflict began in April 2023. It argues that the multiplicity of mediation efforts—ranging from the African Union and UN to regional blocs and individual nations—has allowed the warring parties, the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces, to play initiatives against one another to gain time rather than commit to peace, while the humanitarian crisis worsens.

The report evaluates the AU Peace and Security Council's efforts in conflict resolution and regional stability, highlighting failures in Sudan's mediation due to biased mediator selection and a lack of political focus. It examines the limitations of PSC field missions, the rising death toll of humanitarian workers in Africa, and the role of illegal natural resource exploitation in funding armed groups. Finally, it discusses the need for greater African agency and strategic coordination in infrastructure and security partnerships with China through FOCAC.

This report summarizes a public seminar held on November 20, 2009, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, jointly organized by the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) and the Ethiopian International Institute for Peace and Development (EIIPD). The seminar, titled "Copenhagen Talks on Climate Change and Africa's Response," focused on strengthening a common African position regarding mitigation, adaptation, and compensation ahead of the Copenhagen climate negotiations.

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 report by the Institute for Security Studies analyzes projects aimed at preventing and countering violent extremism (P/CVE) in Central, East, and West Africa. It identifies critical gaps in funding duration, monitoring and evaluation (M&E) capacity, and the potential for P/CVE labeling to stigmatize target communities, while suggesting a shift toward longer-term funding and greater African state ownership.

This report documents a seminar held on 18 March 2009 by the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) in Pretoria, focusing on the African Union's (AU) policy regarding unconstitutional changes of government (UCG) in Africa. The seminar, featuring presenters Issaka K. Souaré and Francis Ikome, evaluated the effectiveness of the Lomé Declaration and the AU's Constitutive Act in deterring military coups and other unconstitutional power shifts, while proposing reforms to create a 'New African Governance Architecture' (NAGA).

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 contains a series of resolutions (CM/Res.149 to CM/Res.174) adopted by the Council of Ministers of the Organization of African Unity (OAU) during its eleventh ordinary session held in Algiers, Algeria, from September 4 to 12, 1968. The resolutions address a wide range of political, humanitarian, and economic issues, including the status of refugees, the liberation of territories under Portuguese and South African domination, the decolonization of the Comoros, and the promotion of intra-African economic integration and cultural cooperation.

This report by Robert Mattes of the University of Cape Town uses Afrobarometer survey data from 18 African countries to compare experiences of crime and policing in South Africa with other nations on the continent. The analysis finds that while South Africa has high levels of insecurity and crime exposure, it is not exceptional in the African context. Furthermore, despite having superior physical and human capital, the South African Police Service (SAPS) often lags behind other African police forces in terms of public trust, legitimacy, and community relations.

This report by the Institute for Security Studies examines the perceptions of South Sudanese refugees in Ethiopia and Uganda regarding the conflict in their home country and the IGAD-led peace process. Based on interviews conducted in July 2018, the document highlights a significant gap in communication between peace negotiators and refugee populations, widespread frustration with political leadership, and deep divisions over the future administrative structure of South Sudan.

This report by the Institute for Security Studies assesses the nuclear security environment in Africa, examining the risks of nuclear material diversion, the status of international and regional security regimes, and the implications of the continent's emerging nuclear energy programs.

This document outlines the recommendations from a conference held in Jinja, Uganda, from 11 to 13 March 2009, focused on developing a Common and Comprehensive African Approach to HIV and AIDS (CCAAHM) within African militaries. The conference, attended by delegates from numerous African nations and NGOs, sought to address policy dilemmas regarding recruitment, combat readiness, and the management of HIV-positive personnel in the context of peacekeeping and national security.

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 monograph introduces the theory and practice of criminal justice in Africa, examining how colonial legacies, political instability, and the interests of ruling elites shape legal systems. It explores the tension between retributive Western-centric models and indigenous restorative justice, while providing specific case studies on the challenges of bail and human rights in Nigeria, the dual legal system in Uganda, and the political use of the judiciary in Zimbabwe and South Africa.