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This policy brief by the Institute for Security Studies examines the challenges facing the justice system in Guinea-Bissau, highlighting a history of impunity and the failure to implement key reforms due to political instability. It advocates for the relaunch of the 2015–2019 Justice Reform Programme and constitutional changes to ensure judicial independence and improve access to justice for the population.

This policy brief by the Institute for Security Studies analyzes the challenges facing the justice system in Guinea-Bissau, highlighting a history of impunity and the failure to implement key reforms due to political instability. It advocates for the relaunch of the 2015-2019 Justice Reform Program and constitutional changes to ensure judicial independence and financial autonomy.

This policy brief by the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) analyzes the persistent blockages in the Security Sector Reform (SSR) process in Guinea-Bissau. It examines the historical role of the armed forces, the failures of previous reform attempts since 2005, and the political tensions between military and civilian authorities. The document provides recommendations to relaunch the reform by focusing on realistic force sizes, institutionalization, and the role of regional partners like ECOWAS.

This policy brief by the Institute for Security Studies (ISS), prepared for the United Nations Integrated Peacebuilding Office in Guinea-Bissau (UNIOGBIS), outlines essential institutional reforms for Guinea-Bissau. Based on the October 2016 Conakry Agreement, the document recommends comprehensive updates to the Constitution, electoral laws, the Law on Political Parties, the justice system, and the defense and security sector to end political instability and consolidate the rule of law.

The May 2018 Peace & Security Council Report examines several African Union (AU) initiatives and regional challenges, including the FemWise-Africa network for women mediators, the proposed AU Humanitarian Agency, the protocol on free movement of people, and the political situation in Liberia and the Horn of Africa. It also features an interview regarding the transformation of the NEPAD Agency into the AU Development Agency.

This report from the Institute for Security Studies provides a retrospective of the African Union Peace and Security Council (PSC) for the term April 2016 to March 2018, analyzes the role of South Africa and Nigeria in continental initiatives like the AfCFTA, and features an interview with Morocco's Minister of Foreign Affairs regarding its entry into the PSC.

This March 2018 report from the Institute for Security Studies analyzes the African Union's Peace and Security Council (PSC), focusing on its struggles to implement counter-terrorism frameworks, funding crises facing the AMISOM mission in Somalia, constitutional disputes in Burundi, and structural instability in the CEMAC region of Central Africa.

This report by the Institute for Security Studies analyzes the multidimensional political, economic, and social crisis in the Republic of Congo. It details how President Denis Sassou Nguesso utilized constitutional reforms to bypass term limits and maintain power, leading to increased political fragmentation, the use of coercive state machinery, and a reliance on manufactured consensus through stage-managed dialogues.

This policy brief examines the trends and statistical challenges surrounding violent crime on farms and smallholdings in South Africa, arguing that these crimes correlate with broader national trends in violent robbery and murder.

This policy brief by the Institute for Security Studies argues that crime statistics are an unreliable measure of police performance due to variables beyond police control, such as public reporting habits and the nature of contact crimes. It highlights systemic fragmentation within South Africa's criminal justice system (CJS) and recommends shifting toward alternative performance indicators and the implementation of the Integrated Justice System to identify operational bottlenecks.

This policy brief by the Institute for Security Studies examines the disconnect between the African Union's (AU) African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA) and the African Governance Architecture (AGA). It argues that while poor governance is a primary driver of instability in Africa, the AU's responses remain reactive and fragmented due to institutional differences between these two frameworks. The author proposes several options to integrate governance and security, ranging from amending the Peace and Security Council (PSC) protocol to creating a unified 'Architecture for Stability in Africa' (ASA).

This policy brief by the Institute for Security Studies examines the practical application of 'sustaining peace' in Liberia and Sierra Leone. It analyzes the transitions from UN peacekeeping to peacebuilding, arguing that while both nations have shown resilience, UN transitions have often failed to address the root causes of conflict. The document provides recommendations for the UN and regional partners to enhance local ownership, capacity building, and economic diversification to ensure long-term stability.

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This report analyzes the political and economic implications of Cyril Ramaphosa's narrow victory at the African National Congress (ANC) 54th national conference in December 2017. The author argues that while the result averted a major party split, South Africa remains in a "muddling along" scenario characterized by deep factional divisions and economic fragility. The document examines the prospects for the 2019 elections, the potential recall of Jacob Zuma, and the need for structural reforms to avoid credit rating downgrades and stimulate growth.

This research paper by the Institute for Security Studies analyzes the political deadlock in Guinea-Bissau as of December 2017. It argues that holding legislative elections without first resolving the institutional crisis and implementing constitutional reforms is unlikely to provide a lasting solution and may instead exacerbate political polarization.

This report by the Institute for Security Studies provides a comprehensive overview of the legal and policy frameworks governing migration in Africa. It details the roles of the African Union (AU), various Regional Economic Communities (RECs), and partnerships with the European Union (EU) in managing refugees, internally displaced persons, labour migration, and the fight against human trafficking and smuggling.

This report by the Institute for Security Studies examines the African Union's (AU) use of mediation as a conflict-prevention tool. It analyzes the institutional gaps, the tension between formal and informal approaches, and the need for a more structured, long-term strategy to address the root causes of conflict in Africa.

This report by the Institute for Security Studies analyzes the political and economic instability within the Central African Economic and Monetary Community (CEMAC) region. It examines how a decline in global commodity prices, coupled with neo-patrimonial governance and rapid population growth, creates a volatile environment. The authors use the International Futures (IFs) system to forecast trends up to 2040, warning that without significant investments in human capital and democratic reform, the region faces increased risks of instability and violence.

This report by the Institute for Security Studies analyses the 2013 Zimbabwean general election to challenge the 'legitimating narrative' that President Robert Mugabe and ZANU-PF won due to an expanded social base and popular policies. The author argues that the victory was instead secured through the capture of state institutions, systemic electoral fraud, and the use of violence and intimidation, suggesting that the electoral terrain for the 2018 polls remains fundamentally undemocratic.

The October 2017 Peace & Security Council Report by the Institute for Security Studies analyzes several African security crises, including the transition of AMISOM in Somalia, the resurgence of violence in the Central African Republic, the pro-Biafra movement in Nigeria, and the African Union's initiative to combat illegal weapons. It also details the ongoing funding disputes between the AU Peace and Security Council (PSC) and the UN Security Council (UNSC) regarding AU-led peace operations.