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This research paper examines the introduction of private prisons in South Africa as a response to overcrowding and funding shortages within the Department of Correctional Services (DCS). It discusses the opening of the first private facilities in Bloemfontein and Louis Trichardt, comparing the South African model to those in the United Kingdom, United States, and Australia, while suggesting reforms for transparency and the expansion of private sector involvement in community corrections.

The document analyzes the US shift toward supporting an African-led peacekeeping force (the African Crisis Reaction Force) following the costly 1992 intervention in Somalia. It identifies the 1996 diplomatic push for the ACRF as a result of crises in the Great Lakes region, US domestic political pressures under the Clinton Administration, and the 1996 US election cycle.

This case study by the Institute for Security Studies describes a scheme where money laundering syndicates stole US COVID-19 relief funds from child nutrition programmes and laundered them through Kenya, Turkey, and Dubai. It highlights significant failures in Kenya's legal framework and enforcement, noting that despite US convictions, no suspects have been prosecuted in Kenya nor have their Kenyan assets been seized.

The briefing examines the role of the BASIC countries (Brazil, South Africa, India, and China) after the 2009 Copenhagen Accord. It notes that while the BASIC countries helped broker the Accord, they view it as a set of 'building blocks' rather than a replacement for the UNFCCC's formal two-track system. The group continues to push for developed nations to provide financing, technology transfer, and clear emissions targets. The document highlights a strategic alignment between the BASIC countries and the African Union on issues of climate justice and the balance between economic development and emissions reduction.

This report analyzes the contradictions in United States strategy in Somalia between 2001 and 2007, specifically the attempt to combine counter-terrorism efforts with state building in a 'failed state'.

A briefing by the Institute for Security Studies analyzing the political and economic dynamics of Egypt's first free presidential election following the ousting of Hosni Mubarak, focusing on the candidates, the role of the military, and the absence of a constitution.

This research paper examines how arms transfers to Libyan rebels by France and Qatar undermine the United Nations arms embargo and violate end-user certificate agreements, highlighting the lack of international monitoring and enforcement in arms control systems.

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 argues that while illegal mining is a pervasive aspect of the conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), it is a manifestation rather than a root cause. The author contends that focusing solely on regulating the mining sector—through measures like the DRC's 2010-2011 mining ban or the US Dodd-Frank Act—without addressing underlying issues of governance, land, and ethnicity is insufficient for achieving sustainable peace.

This research paper examines the potential for the International Criminal Court (ICC) to prosecute peacekeepers for serious crimes committed in Africa, concluding that the ICC's role will likely be limited due to jurisdictional constraints and the principle of complementarity.

A briefing by the Institute for Security Studies regarding the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Preparatory Committee meeting in New York from 4 to 15 May 2009, focusing on the treaty's pillars and the strategic interests of African states leading up to the 2010 Review Conference.

This research paper by the Institute for Security Studies examines the impact of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) military intervention in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) on sub-regional cohesion and the challenges facing future stability efforts.

This research paper examines the drivers of conflict and the peacekeeping efforts in the Mano River Basin, highlighting the roles of displaced populations, illicit trade, and international security concerns.

This statement by Tutu Alicante of EG Justice argues that the Obama administration should use the US-Africa Leaders Summit to pressure Equatorial Guinea for greater transparency, human rights, and judicial reform, highlighting the contrast between the country's oil wealth and the poverty of its citizens.

A statement by the Institute for Security Studies arguing that African nations must prevent the adoption of a new Protocol to the Convention on Conventional Weapons (CCW) that would weaken the existing 2008 Convention on Cluster Munitions (CCM).

This research paper examines the relationship between remittances and political influence in Cape Verde, the Comores, and Lesotho. It argues that the political weight of a diaspora is not determined by its size or the volume of remittances, but rather by the organization of the recipient state and its capacity to capitalize on diaspora contributions.

This research paper examines the Darfur conflict, arguing that simplistic media representations and international activism often overlook the deep-seated structural, political, and resource-based causes of the violence. The author contends that a focus on 'mass atrocity' statistics and international 'conflict management' can undermine local agency and the pursuit of an inclusive Sudanese state.

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.

The document proposes the establishment of a Ministry for Peacebuilding as a permanent, cabinet-level government institution to institutionalize a 'culture of peace' and redefine national security beyond military terms. It argues that peacebuilding requires a distinct organizational perspective and dedicated administrative structure to manage disarmament, the conversion of military facilities to civilian use, and the promotion of nonviolent conflict resolution.