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This report by the Institute for Security Studies examines the infrastructure investment gap in Africa, detailing the financial shortfalls, the role of continental frameworks like PIDA, and the challenges of mobilising both domestic and private capital to support sustainable growth.

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 policy brief examines the 1973 Lokiriama Peace Accord, an unwritten indigenous agreement between the Turkana of Kenya and the Matheniko of Uganda. The author argues that this community-centred, culturally sensitive approach to conflict resolution is more durable than modern, state-led interventions, which often focus on punishment rather than reconciliation. The document recommends that governments in the Karamoja Cluster integrate traditional governance structures into their peacebuilding strategies to address persistent intercommunal violence and the impacts of climate change.

This report by the Institute for Security Studies provides a scoping study on peace and security in East Africa, focusing on the Horn of Africa and the Great Lakes regions. It analyzes conflict dynamics, state fragility, and the effectiveness of regional and national interventions, concluding that the region remains fragile despite some governance gains.

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 research paper examines the implementation of the Maputo Protocol—the African Union's framework for women's rights—across Africa, with specific case studies on Malawi, South Sudan, Somalia, and Mozambique. It argues that while the protocol provides a critical legal foundation for gender equality and human security, its practical application is hindered by a lack of political will, the persistence of patriarchal customary laws, and systemic barriers to justice and political participation.

This policy brief examines South Africa's evolving role as a 'norm entrepreneur' in Africa, arguing that while the country initially led the continent in promoting democracy and human rights, its recent foreign policy has become more inward-looking and economically pragmatic.

This October 2015 report from the Institute for Security Studies examines the relationship between the African Union (AU) and the United Nations (UN), focusing on peacekeeping funding, counter-terrorism efforts, and specific crises in South Sudan, Mali, and Somalia. It also analyzes the risks associated with a series of upcoming elections across the African continent.

This report analyzes South Africa's election as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council (UNSC) for the 2019–2020 term. It examines the current geopolitical dynamics of the Council, the expectations placed on South Africa as a regional power, and provides strategic recommendations for the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) to maximize the country's international visibility and influence.

This research paper by Amanda Lucey argues for the integration of peace and security into the discourse of South-South Cooperation (SSC), specifically in the context of the BAPA+40 conference. The author contends that while the original 1978 Buenos Aires Plan of Action (BAPA) focused on economic and social development, the contemporary African reality necessitates a holistic approach where peace and development are viewed as mutually reinforcing.

A budget vote speech delivered by the Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Maite Nkoana-Mashabane, to the National Assembly on 31 May 2011. The speech outlines South Africa's foreign policy priorities, its role in regional and global governance, and the operational goals of the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO).

This policy briefing by the South African Institute of International Affairs analyzes the political economy of peace in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), arguing that regional peace agreements are shaped by the shifting economic power between the eastern Kivus and the southern Katanga province.

This briefing examines the African Capacity for Immediate Response to Crisis (ACIRC), a proposed rapid deployment instrument for the African Union (AU) initiated by South Africa. It analyzes the ACIRC's role as a stopgap for the African Standby Force's (ASF) missing rapid deployment capability, detailing the operational, political, and logistical challenges facing its implementation, and suggests ways to integrate it with AU and UN peace architectures.

This briefing describes the development and findings of a global Evidence Gap Map (EGM) on sustainable energy, co-funded by Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL) and 3ie. The EGM systematically screens rigorous evidence on the causal effects of sustainable energy interventions in low- and middle-income countries (L&MICs) to support SDG 7 targets regarding energy access, efficiency, and renewables.

This research paper examines climate change vulnerability and adaptation in Sudan, highlighting the critical dependence of food security on erratic rainfall. It predicts significant declines in millet and sorghum yields in the Kordofan Region by 2060 and warns of increased malaria risks and water crises. The authors argue that while the Environmental Protection Act of 2001 and the National Adaptation Program of Action (NAPA) provide frameworks, effective adaptation requires moving away from top-down, sectorial planning toward integrated national planning, land tenure reform, and the establishment of a national early warning system.