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This policy brief examines the barriers and facilitators to participation in parenting programmes in South Africa. Based on interviews with caregivers in Cape Town, it identifies low socio-economic status—specifically transport costs, hunger, and lack of childcare—as the primary structural barriers. Personal barriers include health issues and alcohol abuse, while programmatic barriers involve discomfort with group sharing. Facilitators include family support, a readiness to change, and the 'support group' nature of the sessions. The brief recommends house-to-house recruitment, the provision of shuttle services, childcare, and meals to increase engagement and return on investment.

This case study describes a partnership between the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) and the telecommunications company MTN to develop a security and intelligence system for operations in volatile markets.

This report examines the survival strategies of women associated with non-state armed combatants in the South Kivu province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). It argues that these women, often viewed as mere dependants, develop independent coping mechanisms and are frequently excluded from community support and formal Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration (DDR) programmes.

This legislative guide, published by the Institute for Security Studies in 2016, provides African states with practical guidance on drafting and amending national laws to comply with international and regional arms control instruments. It focuses on the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT), the UN Programme of Action on Small Arms (UNPoA), the International Tracing Instrument (ITI), the SADC Protocol, and the Nairobi Protocol. The guide details requirements for the manufacture, marking, record-keeping, and international transfer (export, import, transit, transhipment, and brokering) of conventional arms, specifically small arms and light weapons, and outlines necessary penal provisions for illicit activities.

This directory, compiled by the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) with financial support from Denmark, provides an inventory of assistance and capacity-building programmes available to African states in chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) areas. It details the offers of nearly 50 states, various international and regional organisations, and civil society entities, primarily within the framework of UN Security Council Resolution 1540 and other international non-proliferation treaties.

The June 2016 edition of the South African Crime Quarterly (No. 56), co-published by the Institute for Security Studies and the University of Cape Town, examines critical intersections of crime, justice, and social norms. The issue features research on the social barriers to policing domestic violence in Khayelitsha, the poor conditions within South African women's prisons, a methodology for measuring socioeconomic risk factors in high-murder areas, and the legal landscape of private prosecutions in Zimbabwe.

This report from the Institute for Security Studies analyzes the activities and challenges of the African Union's (AU) Peace and Security Council (PSC) leading into 2016. It focuses on the AU's shifting emphasis toward human rights, the upcoming 2016 elections for the PSC and AU Commission, and the council's mixed success in managing conflicts in Burundi, South Sudan, Somalia, and Burkina Faso. The document also explores the persistent linguistic divide between anglophone and francophone member states and the evolving partnership between the AU and the United Nations.

This report examines Botswana's foreign policy within the Southern African Development Community (SADC), analyzing the transition from the consultative 'quiet diplomacy' of past administrations to the more outspoken and pragmatic approach of President Ian Khama. It details the institutional frameworks governing Botswana's external engagements and the historical influences of the Front Line States and the country's landlocked geography.

This fact sheet provides an overview of the African Standby Force (ASF), its Rapid Deployment Capability (RDC), the African Capacity for Immediate Response to Crises (ACIRC), and the Amani Africa II field training exercise. It details the ASF's structure, mandate, funding challenges, and its relationship with other African Union (AU) peace and security mechanisms.

This report examines the socio-economic importance and systemic threats to the fishing sector in Senegal, focusing on a case study of the Ziguinchor region. It details the impact of illegal fishing, infrastructure deficits, and environmental degradation, while evaluating participatory management models and protected marine areas.

This report by the Institute for Security Studies examines the political stability and challenges facing Somaliland, a self-declared republic that operates with de facto independence from Somalia. While praised as a rare success story of democracy and stability in the Horn of Africa, the report argues that this progress is fragile due to delayed elections, a lack of international recognition, the rise of Salafism, and border disputes with Puntland and the Somali Federal Government.

This report analyzes the political and social landscape of Tanzania ahead of its fifth multiparty democratic election in October 2015. It examines the dominance of the Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM), the challenges of constitutional reform, the structural tensions within the Union between the mainland and Zanzibar, and the emerging social cleavages driven by youth unemployment and economic inequality.

This research paper examines the rise and fall of specialised investigative units within the South African Police Service (SAPS) between 1995 and 2015. It details how initial rationalisation under George Fivaz was followed by aggressive restructuring and decentralisation under Jackie Selebi, which the author argues led to a critical loss of expertise, demoralisation of staff, and a diminished capacity to combat serious, violent, and organised crime. The paper concludes that the loss of these units was a 'spectacular failure' and supports the recent policy shifts toward re-establishing specialised crime-fighting units as recommended by the National Development Plan 2030.

This policy brief analyzes the 2015 United Nations peacebuilding review, which advocates for a shift from 'post-conflict peacebuilding' to a holistic approach termed 'sustaining peace.' The authors examine how UN member states can implement these recommendations to prioritize conflict prevention and address the root causes of conflict through better coordination between UN organs and increased partnerships with regional organizations.

This August 2015 report from the Institute for Security Studies provides an analysis of the African Union Peace and Security Council's (PSC) activities, focusing on the postponed field mission to Burundi, security challenges facing AMISOM in Somalia, the AU's stance on universal jurisdiction regarding a Rwandan official, and internal restructuring efforts within the AU Commission.

This report from the Institute for Security Studies details the outcomes of the 25th African Union (AU) summit held in June 2015. It focuses on the Peace and Security Council's (PSC) efforts to address crises in South Sudan, Burundi, and Libya, the AU's strained relationship with the International Criminal Court (ICC) regarding Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, and broader initiatives including the Continental Free Trade Area and the African Capacity for Immediate Response to Crises (ACIRC).

This report by the Institute for Security Studies examines the risks of religious radicalism in Côte d’Ivoire, focusing on Pentecostal Christian movements, various currents of Islam, and the Lebanese Shiite community's links to Hezbollah. While concluding that radicalism has not yet reached the scale seen elsewhere in the region, the document identifies several political, socio-economic, and regulatory vulnerabilities that could facilitate future radicalisation.

This report analyzes how the internal political and military crisis in South Sudan, which began in December 2013, has evolved into a regional competition for influence among Horn of Africa states. It details the conflicting strategic, economic, and security interests of Uganda, Sudan, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Kenya, and Egypt, arguing that their proxy support and geopolitical maneuvering undermine mediation efforts led by the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD).

This report by the Institute for Security Studies analyses the maritime security challenges facing Benin in the Gulf of Guinea, focusing on piracy, illegal fishing, and environmental degradation. It examines the resource disparities between Benin's navy and other maritime agencies, the economic impact of insecurity on the port of Cotonou, and the transition from temporary security measures to a sustainable national maritime strategy.

The May 2015 issue of the Peace & Security Council Report examines the African Union's (AU) efforts to integrate women into the security sector, the doctrinal and financial tensions in the AU-UN peacekeeping partnership, the instability and humanitarian crisis in Libya, and the lessons learned from the AU's first mission to counter the Ebola outbreak in West Africa.