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1,466 documents from Institute for Security Studies
Survive and advance: The economics of smuggling refugees and migrants into Europe
The document argues that violent conflicts, poverty, and repressive regimes have fueled an unprecedented flow of migrants to Europe, which is facilitated by a violent and opportunistic smuggling industry. This industry has generated sustainable profits, leading to the creation of transnational networks that threaten human security and state stability. The authors assert that effective policy responses require a nuanced understanding of how migration journeys are shaped by the migrants' ethnicity, income, and origin, as well as the adaptability of the smuggling networks.
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Document type: Research paper
Conference Report: Dynamics of Decision Making in Africa
The document outlines a conference focused on understanding the complexities of decision-making within African regional and continental institutions. It highlights a gap in political and scientific attention regarding these dynamics, which is presented as a barrier to effective global partnerships on issues including environmental protection, peace, security, and economic development. The report specifically notes that external actors, such as the European Union, often underestimate the complexities of African international relations and the dynamics shaping the positions of Regional Economic Communities.
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Document type: Report
Happily ever after: How UN member states can ensure sustainable peace
The document serves as an introduction to a policy brief analyzing the 2015 UN peacebuilding review. It highlights the review's goal of enhancing the effectiveness of peacebuilding responses across UN entities and emphasizes the central role of conflict prevention in sustaining peace.
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Document type: Policy brief
Prison Privatisation in South Africa: Issues, Challenges and Opportunities
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.
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Document type: Research paper
Somalia: the intervention dilemma
This policy brief by the Institute for Security Studies examines the African Union's (AU) strategy to increase troop levels for the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) following suicide bombings in Uganda in July 2010.
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Document type: Policy brief
Corruption and governance in the DRC during the transition period 2003 to 2006
The document evaluates the strengths and weaknesses of the Democratic Republic of Congo's anti-corruption framework between 2003 and 2006, identifying gaps in national laws relative to international standards and providing recommendations for institutional improvement.
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Document type: Report
Ethiopia: fear of instability following the death of Prime Minister Meles Zenawi
The document examines the political landscape in Ethiopia after the death of Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, noting his legacy of economic growth and strategic alignment with the West. While short-term destabilisation is deemed unlikely due to intact security infrastructure, the briefing highlights risks associated with the ethnic-based ruling coalition and the potential for parochial politics to emerge.
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Document type: Briefing
Conflict Management, Peacekeeping and Peacebuilding: Lessons for Africa from a Seminar Past
This monograph presents a collection of papers from 'Exercise Morning Star', a September 1996 seminar held at the South African Army College. The document provides a general overview of conflict management, peacekeeping, and peacebuilding in Africa, emphasizing that these issues are no longer exclusively military domains and require partnerships between military forces, civil society, and regional bodies.
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Document type: Report
No End in Sight for DRC Crisis
The briefing examines the failure of MONUC and the Congolese army (FARDC) to contain rebel movements in eastern DRC, highlighting allegations that MONUC provided logistical support to the FARDC during operations that benefited FDLR rebels. It details how neighboring countries—Uganda, Tanzania, and Burundi—illegally support the FDLR through gold trade, weapons supply, and recruitment. The text argues that regional agreements, such as those from the Tripartite Plus Joint Commission and the Nairobi Communiqué, are being undermined by a lack of stakeholder commitment and international failures, including the presence of FDLR leaders in Germany and France. The author calls for a comprehensive strategy to neutralize all armed groups and a reformed disarmament approach for the FDLR.
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Document type: Briefing
Elections in Mozambique: A smooth journey, or a hurdle to skip?
The policy brief focuses on the security risks associated with Mozambique's fifth democratic election in October 2014, specifically regarding the role of Renamo and the need for sustainable measures to address rebel demands regardless of the election outcome to maintain a tenuous peace process.
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Document type: Policy brief
From rhetoric to action: delivering for young women in Africa
This policy brief argues that young African women aged 15 to 35 face a double burden of gender and age discrimination, often resulting in their exclusion from government programs. The authors contend that deliberate policy choices and enhanced action are necessary to ensure these women can contribute to the goals of Agenda 2063 and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
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Document type: Policy brief
Lesotho After May 2012 General Elections: Making the coalition work
The document analyzes the transition of Lesotho's government from a single-party majority to an opposition-led coalition following the 2012 elections. It attributes this shift to the mixed member proportional (MMP) electoral model and outlines the critical factors—transition, mobilization, and agenda setting—that will determine the coalition's success and longevity.
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Document type: Briefing
Somalia: Next Steps are Important for Sustaining Progress
The document argues that while Somalia has made progress in security and political stability, including the swearing-in of parliamentarians and the adoption of a provisional constitution, this progress is fragile. It identifies three primary risks: grievances stemming from the peace process and candidate selection, the 'referee/player syndrome' where transitional officials act as political competitors, and the potential for Al-Shabaab to shift to guerrilla tactics following the loss of Kismayo. The authors emphasize that managing 'bad losers' from the presidential election and planning for the evolution of Al-Shabaab are essential for long-term stability.
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Document type: Briefing
Volume 6 Number 4
The text defines 'good governance' as the efficacy of formal structures to ensure co-operation and order in human affairs. It argues that while the international community prioritizes governance as a leverage point for societal stability, implementation is difficult. The author posits that success depends on two factors: the enrichment of civil society—primarily through education and ethical leadership to combat corruption—and a flexible approach that coordinates both formal top-down policy and informal bottom-up movements. The document emphasizes that the ultimate goal of governance is the achievement of order to serve the common good, which is best realized when institutions are representative, responsive, and accountable to the governed.
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Document type: Research paper
Educating Cape 2040: building blocks of future prosperity
This policy brief outlines potential education development paths for the Western Cape through 2040. It contrasts a 'Base Case' of slow improvement with an 'Educating Cape' scenario driven by expanded Early Childhood Development and supplementary teacher training. The proposed scenario predicts 100% primary survival rates by 2030, a reduction of 10,000 people in extreme poverty by 2040, and substantial GDP growth reaching over R6,5 billion in annual gains by 2040.
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Document type: Policy brief
The Hague Code of Conduct against Ballistic Missile Proliferation: Relevance to African States
This policy brief provides an overview of the Hague Code of Conduct against Ballistic Missile Proliferation (HCoC), analyzing its relevance to African states and the potential benefits of adhering to its principles and confidence-building measures.
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Document type: Policy brief
Roundtable Report: Governing Climate Finance, Critical Perspectives from Africa, Asia and Latin America
This report summarizes a two-day roundtable held in September 2010 by the Institute for Security Studies' Corruption & Governance Programme, featuring civil society experts from Africa, Asia, and Latin America. The document outlines a pilot project to monitor the governance of climate finance at local levels, specifically examining the Adaptation Fund, the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), and Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD).
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Document type: Report
Don't Hold the African Crisis Response Force Hostage to Unrealistic Demands
The paper argues that US support for an African-led peacekeeping force, specifically the African Crisis Reaction Force (ACRF), was driven by a desire to reduce the political and financial costs of direct US military involvement in African crises. This shift in strategy followed the 1992 events in Somalia and was further motivated by conflicts in the Great Lakes region and domestic US political considerations during the 1996 election cycle.
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Document type: Research paper
Small Arms in Southern Africa: Reflections on the Extent of the Problem and its Management Potential
The Institute for Security Studies (ISS) calls for a 'micro-disarmament' agenda in Africa, asserting that small arms and light weapons are as deadly as weapons of mass destruction on the continent. The author argues that traditional arms control, often focused on nuclear deterrence and state-level strategy, has ignored the needs of African peoples and the root causes of violence. By aligning with the humanitarian ideals of the 1899 Hague Peace Conference, the document suggests that Southern Africa can lead the way in finding indigenous solutions to weapon proliferation and fostering a culture of peace through the integration of educational and development components.
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Document type: Research paper
Dealing with a difficult past: time to revitalise the Ethiopian Reconciliation Commission?
This research paper argues for the revitalisation of the Ethiopian Reconciliation Commission, which was established two years prior to the text's publication to address recurring conflicts and past injustices during Ethiopia's political transition.
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Document type: Research paper