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This policy brief analyzes Turkey's 2015 G-20 presidency, focusing on its priorities of inclusiveness, investment, and implementation, and their implications for Africa and low-income developing countries (LIDCs). The authors argue that while Turkey has expanded its diplomatic and economic engagement with Africa through a 'bottom-up' approach, the G-20's institutional framework remains problematic due to the underrepresentation of African nations and a disconnect between its finance and development tracks.

This draft report documents the January 28, 2015, launch meeting of the South African chapter of the Network of Southern Think Tanks (NeST), co-hosted by the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA) and Oxfam. The meeting brought together over 40 stakeholders to discuss South Africa's approach to South-South cooperation (SSC) and development partnerships in Africa. The report outlines the goals of NeST South Africa, analyzes the specific paradigm of South African development assistance, identifies systemic challenges in coordination and data management, and discusses the pending establishment of the South African Development Partnership Agency (SADPA).

The November 2014 issue of the Peace & Security Council (PSC) Report details the African Union's (AU) interventions in Burkina Faso, its monitoring of various African elections, and its strategic focus on state fragility. It also provides a comprehensive analysis of the Ebola epidemic's impact on socio-political stability in West Africa and the international community's response.

This October 2014 report from the Institute for Security Studies analyzes recent activities of the African Union's Peace and Security Council (PSC), focusing on the role of the Panel of the Wise, continental counter-terrorism strategies, and political crises in South Sudan and Lesotho.

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 July 2014 Peace & Security Council (PSC) Report by the Institute for Security Studies analyzes the African Union's (AU) handling of unconstitutional changes of government in Egypt, the deteriorating security situation in Libya, the challenges of post-conflict reconstruction and development (PCRD) in Africa, and the strategic partnership between the AU PSC and the UN Security Council.

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 research paper examines South Africa's transition from the African Renaissance Fund (ARF) to the South African Development Partnership Agency (SADPA). It analyzes South Africa's role as an emerging development partner in Africa, focusing on aid effectiveness, the importance of local ownership, and the need for better integration into national aid architectures to avoid the pitfalls of traditional donor-recipient relationships.

This research paper analyzes the security implications of the Westgate attacks in Nairobi, arguing that Kenya's military intervention in Somalia and the broader regional instability facilitate radicalism. It highlights the tension between East Africa's economic growth and its fragility, suggesting that long-term stability requires inclusive, home-grown political settlements rather than solely military solutions.

This briefing argues that the international community should use the process of Syria's accession to the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) as a catalyst for a broader, holistic approach to weapons of mass destruction (WMD) disarmament, specifically within the Middle East.

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.

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 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.

A briefing on the territorial dispute between Malawi and Tanzania over Lake Malawi, focusing on the disagreement regarding the mediation process and the structural limitations of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) in resolving such conflicts.

This policy brief examines the delays in operationalising the African Standby Force (ASF), an African Union (AU) mechanism designed for rapid response to violent armed conflicts in Africa. Despite multiple roadmaps and timelines (2005, 2008, 2010), the force remained non-operational as of 2012, with a revised target of 2015. The author identifies systemic failures in political command, logistical infrastructure, and institutional capacity, arguing that the AU has relied too heavily on ad hoc missions rather than using actual deployments to refine the ASF architecture.

The September 2012 Peace and Security Council Report by the Institute for Security Studies provides analysis on early warning issues in Africa, focusing on the electoral risks in Kenya, the democratic transition in Egypt, and a retrospective of the 19th African Union (AU) Summit.

This report examines the drivers and flows of tropical timber exports from the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) through Uganda to regional markets, highlighting the prevalence of unregulated trade and the disparity in benefits among actors within the supply chain.

This policy briefing examines the tropical timber trade from the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to and through Uganda into the wider East African region. It highlights the challenges of regulating a trade characterized by informal operators and middlemen, and provides recommendations for improving regional coordination, domestic regulation in Uganda, and the use of existing platforms like the ICGLR and the Albertine Rift Strategic Planning Process to promote sustainable development.