Search Climate Insights Directory

This report by the Institute for Security Studies analyzes the drivers and types of insecurity in Kenya, arguing that while al-Shabaab receives significant attention, armed criminal groups and the nature of Kenyan politics pose more widespread threats. The document examines the role of state-led violence, historical land injustices, and regional dynamics in the Horn of Africa in shaping the country's security landscape.

This report analyzes the political and security crisis in Lesotho leading up to the February 2015 snap elections. It examines the structural causes of instability, including the politicization of security forces, the failure of coalition governments, and the limitations of the Mixed Member Parallel electoral system. The document also evaluates the role of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) in mediating the crisis and concludes that elections alone are unlikely to resolve the country's cyclical patterns of violence and institutional fragility.

This policy brief examines the African Union's (AU) counter-terrorism architecture, arguing that while a comprehensive legal and normative framework exists, its effectiveness is severely undermined by poor implementation at both the state and institutional levels.

This policy brief provides a comparative analysis of strategies and initiatives for the Sahel developed by various multilateral organisations. It examines geographical scopes, objectives, implementation sectors, and financing to identify gaps, overlaps, and opportunities for coordination to improve the effectiveness of regional interventions.

The March 2015 Peace & Security Council (PSC) Report details the African Union's efforts to address security crises in Mali, the Lake Chad Basin, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Somalia, emphasizing the need for coordinated action between African and international partners.

This policy brief, published by the Institute for Security Studies in February 2015, analyzes the integrity of Kenya's 2013 general elections. Based on a post-election survey by the Comparative National Elections Project (CNEP), the document examines voter perceptions of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), the fairness of the process, and the influence of ethnic and partisan dynamics on public trust.

This research paper examines the capacity of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) to implement post-conflict reconstruction and development (PCRD) and explores how South Africa can leverage its membership to strengthen these activities. The author argues that SADC is currently constrained by a state-centric approach to security, structural silos, and a lack of institutional capacity, leaving PCRD responsibilities to individual member states. By comparing SADC with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the paper suggests that SADC needs to adopt a more holistic, human-security-based approach and improve its coordination with the African Union (AU) and international donors.

This policy brief by the Institute for Security Studies examines the African Union's (AU) adoption of the Convention on Cyber Security and Personal Data Protection. It argues that while the convention is a positive step, African states face significant hurdles in ratification and implementation due to capacity gaps, free speech concerns, and the global nature of cybercrime.

The briefing examines the political vacuum created by the downfall of Burkina Faso's former president Blaise Compaoré in West Africa. Compaoré acted as both a regional peacemaker and a source of instability, playing critical roles in the political crises of Togo, Côte d’Ivoire, and Mali, as well as in Western hostage negotiations in the Sahel. The document suggests that while his personal networks are irreplaceable, his departure provides an opportunity for ECOWAS to strengthen its institutional role in conflict resolution.

This report by the Institute for Security Studies analyzes the precarious electoral environment in Benin as of December 2014. It focuses on the delays in updating the permanent computerized electoral list (LEPI), the risks of political instability surrounding the 2015 legislative and 2016 presidential elections, and the legal and social barriers preventing President Thomas Boni Yayi from seeking a third term.

The South African Constitutional Court declared the automatic inclusion of child offenders on the National Register for Sex Offenders unconstitutional, ruling that it violates the principle that a child's best interests must be paramount. The Court held that sentencing courts must have the discretion to decide on registration based on individual circumstances. Parliament was given 15 months to remedy the legislation.

This research paper analyses the legal dispute regarding the Premier of the Western Cape's authority to appoint a commission of inquiry into police inefficiency in Khayelitsha. It examines the resulting judgments from the Western Cape High Court and the Constitutional Court to clarify the scope of provincial policing powers versus national competency in South Africa.

This research paper examines legal gaps in the international criminal justice system, specifically regarding the obligation of states to exercise national jurisdiction and the lack of a horizontal framework for interstate cooperation. It assesses two intergovernmental initiatives—the International Law Commission (ILC) study on crimes against humanity and the Belgium, Slovenia, and Netherlands (BSN) initiative—aimed at enhancing complementarity by establishing conventions for mutual legal assistance and the obligation to prosecute or extradite.

This research paper analyzes the 2014 Protocol on Amendments to the Protocol on the Statute of the African Court of Justice and Human Rights (ACJHPR Amendment), specifically focusing on a provision that grants immunity from prosecution to serving African Union (AU) heads of state and senior officials. The author argues that this immunity provision is a symbolic reaction to the International Criminal Court's (ICC) focus on Africa and is contradictory to the AU's own constitutive principles and other regional agreements.

This policy brief examines the leadership of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) from 2014 to 2015, specifically the roles of Zimbabwe as the overall chair and South Africa as the chair of the Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation (OPDSC). It analyzes how domestic political dynamics, foreign policy, and institutional constraints influence their ability to shape the regional organization's agenda.

This policy brief by the Institute for Security Studies examines the extent and nature of domestic violence in South Africa and the implementation of the Domestic Violence Act of 1998 (DVA). It highlights the discrepancy between official police statistics and community-based surveys, the prevalence of intimate partner violence and femicide, and the systemic failures within the police and court systems to protect victims.

This policy brief by the Institute for Security Studies examines the nature, extent, and reporting of sexual violence in South Africa. It highlights significant gaps in police data, the prevalence of under-reporting, and the systemic failures of the criminal justice system in securing convictions for rape.

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 report by the Institute for Security Studies analyses the political deadlock in Togo ahead of the 2015 presidential elections. It details the failure of political dialogues to implement the 2006 Global Political Agreement, the fragmentation of the opposition, and the perceived lack of neutrality in electoral institutions. The document also examines socio-economic tensions, including youth unemployment and land disputes, and the role of the international community in attempting to mediate the crisis.

This policy brief by the Institute for Security Studies examines the persistence of political killings in post-apartheid South Africa, noting a high concentration of these incidents in KwaZulu-Natal and a low rate of criminal convictions.