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This briefing note by the International Institute for Sustainable Development examines the disruptive effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on employment within the large-scale mining sector. It analyzes immediate impacts on direct and indirect labor, the role of national lockdown policies, and the long-term structural shifts toward automation and localized supply chains, while providing recommendations for building future resilience.

This policy brief by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) examines the emergence of agricultural growth poles (agropoles) and corridors in Africa. It analyzes these tools as strategies to attract private investment and transition from subsistence to commercial agriculture, while highlighting the legal, financial, and operational risks associated with their implementation.

This research paper by Dr Jolyon Ford examines the institutional aspects of counter-terrorism strategies in Africa during the second decade following the 2001 9/11 attacks, focusing on the tension between countering threats and maintaining the rule of law and human rights.

The African Union established the African Capacity for Immediate Response to Crises (ACIRC) in May 2013 as a transitional measure to address gaps in its security response, specifically following the need for French intervention in Mali. The ACIRC aims to provide a robust, voluntary force for limited operations while the African Standby Force (ASF) and its Rapid Deployment Capability (RDC) work toward full operationalization. Alongside this military tool, the AU is enhancing conflict prevention through the PanWise network and regional APSA initiatives in the Sahel-Saharan region.

Peace and Security Council Report No 32 provides analysis on political instability and electoral challenges in Senegal, Mali, and Egypt, while reviewing the elections for the African Union's Peace and Security Council and the legislative aspirations of the Pan African Parliament.

This briefing by the Institute for Security Studies examines the rapid pace of urbanisation in Africa, with a specific focus on Nigeria. It highlights the disconnect between rapid population growth in cities and the lack of adequate urban planning, which has led to the proliferation of slums, infrastructure deficits, and economic instability.

The Annual Review of the African Union Peace and Security Council 2013/2014 provides a critical analysis of the Peace and Security Council's (PSC) decisions and responses to a resurgence of conflict and violent instability across Africa in 2013.

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.

The Peace and Security Council Report No 176 analyzes the outcomes of the 38th AU Summit in February 2025, focusing on leadership transitions, the chairship of Angola, and the ongoing challenges of the 'Silencing the Guns' agenda. It highlights the election of Mahamoud Ali Youssouf as AUC chair and the debate over rotational versus permanent membership in the AU Peace and Security Council (PSC).

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.

A joint declaration from the European Commission and the African Union Commission following their fourth College-to-College meeting on 1 October 2008 in Brussels. The document outlines agreements to implement the Africa-EU Strategic Partnership across eight thematic areas, including security, governance, economic integration, health, energy, climate change, migration, and science and technology.

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.

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 report, produced by the African Human Security Initiative (AHSI), provides a comprehensive review of the criminal justice system in Zambia. It examines the effectiveness of policing, prosecutorial services, the courts, customary justice, and the prison service, highlighting systemic weaknesses including corruption, severe prison overcrowding, and a lack of forensic capacity. The document emphasizes the duality of Zambia's legal system, where a majority of the population relies on customary law despite its lack of formal statutory recognition.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.