Search Climate Insights Directory

This report chapter examines 'Operation Favour', a Rhodesian counter-insurgency initiative to establish Security Force Auxiliaries (SFAs) as a local self-protection militia. The program aimed to stabilize rural Tribal Trust Lands and secure political support for the Internal Settlement government, though it faced significant challenges including poor training, urban recruitment issues, and political instability.

This report chapter analyzes the failures and evolution of the Rhodesian intelligence community during the counter-insurgency conflict from 1972 to 1980. It details the transition from a peace-time, police-led intelligence structure to the belated development of military intelligence organizations, highlighting the systemic lack of coordination between the Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO), the Army, and special forces units.

This report chapter examines the institutional evolution of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), detailing its transition from a focus on decolonization and state sovereignty to the establishment of a formal mechanism for conflict prevention and management in the 1990s. It analyzes the socio-economic impacts of armed conflict on African development and the OAU's challenges in operationalizing early warning systems and monitoring small arms proliferation.

This report provides a civil society perspective on the HIV/AIDS pandemic in Zimbabwe, with a specific focus on the Zimbabwe Defence Forces (ZDF). It examines the intersection of national epidemiology, political-economic crises, and military policies, highlighting the high prevalence of HIV within the armed forces and the risks associated with external deployments.

This report examines the evolution of regional security structures in Southern Africa, focusing on the transition of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) from a development-oriented body to one incorporating political, defence, and security mandates. It details the institutional frameworks of the SADC Organ for Politics, Defence and Security, the Inter-State Defence and Security Committee (ISDSC), and the Southern African Regional Police Chiefs Co-operation Organisation (SARPCCO), while highlighting the critical threat posed by small arms proliferation in the post-Cold War era.

This report chapter, authored by Martin Rupiya for the Institute for Security Studies, examines the impact of the HIV/AIDS pandemic on the militaries of Southern African nations. Based on empirical evidence from Botswana, Swaziland, Zambia, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe, the text identifies common trends in disease transmission, the failure of states to implement timely policies, and the specific challenges faced by defence forces regarding recruitment, operational effectiveness, and the social dynamics of testing.

This report chapter argues for the integration of light weapons monitoring into early warning systems to prevent conflict. It examines the limitations of existing international arms registers, proposes a five-element process for early warning, and highlights regional cooperation in Southern Africa as a model for identifying and destroying destabilising weapons accumulations.

This document is an acknowledgments page for a book regarding restorative justice practice in South Africa, noting the funding and personnel involved in the research.

This chapter explores the definition and application of restorative justice, particularly in South Africa. It discusses the lack of a universal definition, proposes a 'continuum' for measuring the restorativeness of programs, and highlights the influence of African indigenous justice systems. The text outlines how restorative justice can be applied at various stages of the criminal justice process—from pre-trial diversion to post-sentencing—and argues that, when professionally managed, it can be effective even in cases of serious violence or power imbalances.

This report chapter details the historical development and implementation of restorative justice (RJ) in South Africa, tracing its evolution from early victim-offender mediation projects in the 1990s to the integration of community-based justice and government policy initiatives.

This report provides a detailed exploration of restorative justice (RJ) projects across several South African provinces, including the Eastern Cape, Free State, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, Northern Cape, North West, and Western Cape. It examines the implementation of Victim-Offender Conferences (VOCs) and Family Group Conferences (FGCs) across government departments, civil society organizations, and traditional authorities.

This executive summary describes a study of over sixty restorative justice projects in South Africa. It finds that while some quality activity exists across multiple sectors, it is insufficient to meet demand and is hindered by a lack of proper funding.

This report, published by the Institute for Security Studies in July 2002, provides a comprehensive summary of commitments made by African Heads of State and Government during Organization of African Unity (OAU) Summit Meetings. It outlines agreed-upon standards for democratic governance, human rights, the protection of vulnerable groups, and collective security measures to combat terrorism, mercenarism, and the proliferation of small arms.

This report presents the results of Malawi's first National Crime Victimisation Survey, conducted between May and July 2003. The survey of 6,861 respondents reveals that while violent crime is relatively uncommon, property crimes—specifically crop and livestock theft—are prevalent and closely linked to food shortages and poverty, termed 'crimes of need'. The document also examines public perceptions of safety, the performance of the police and courts, and the role of community-based security groups.

This case study by Richard Cornwell examines the limitations of Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration (DDR) processes in West Africa and the Great Lakes region. The author argues that technical DDR successes are often illusory if they are not preceded by planning for reintegration and a fundamental shift from a 'conflict economy' to a 'peace economy'.

This report by the Institute for Security Studies examines the challenges of defence economics in Africa, focusing on the need for transparency, accountability, and efficiency in military budgeting. It contrasts widespread opaque practices across the continent with the structured, transparent fiscal management system used in South Africa.

This research paper by Patrick Mulenga examines the Zambian government's efforts to manage competing social, economic, and security needs within a constrained fiscal environment. The author argues that sustainable provision for these needs depends on achieving high economic growth and macroeconomic stability, which in turn attracts the investment necessary to expand the state's resource envelope.

This research paper by Naison Ngoma examines the conceptual framework of Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration (DDR) with a specific focus on the challenges faced by states in sub-Saharan Africa. The author argues that standard Western or European models of DDR are often inapplicable to the African context because many African populations were never fully mobilised for war, creating a unique dynamic of "demobilisation without mobilisation."

This report provides policy recommendations from a workshop on civil-military relations in Zambia. Key suggestions include limiting military involvement in internal disturbances to avoid excessive force, ensuring transparency in defence budgeting, and sharing the responsibility for disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration (DDR) across multiple ministries. It also addresses the need for legal protections for refugees and Zambian women who marry refugees, while calling for the UNHCR to assume more responsibility for the financial burden of refugee care.

The document is a guide providing a toolkit for monitoring the right to freedom of peaceful assembly. It outlines indicators for assessing the legal and practical environment for assembly, including the role of law enforcement, the impact of restrictive legislation, and the necessity of protecting participants from violence.