Search Climate Insights Directory

This briefing by Max du Plessis analyzes the Kenyan government's efforts to obstruct International Criminal Court (ICC) proceedings regarding the 2007-8 post-election violence. The author argues that Kenya's strategy—seeking a UN Security Council deferral under Article 16 of the Rome Statute—is legally flawed and politically risky, while suggesting a complementary approach where national courts try lower-level perpetrators and the ICC focuses on those with the greatest responsibility.

This briefing by the Institute for Security Studies examines the failures of government-led rehabilitation and reintegration programmes for defectors from violent extremist groups in Africa, highlighting how human rights abuses and a lack of transparency drive defectors away from state processes and toward civil society or direct community return.

This report describes an international conference organized by the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) and the Embassy of the People's Republic of China in Ethiopia to examine and enhance cooperation between China and the African Union (AU) regarding peace and security in Africa.

This briefing by the Institute for Security Studies argues that the European Union's proposed priority areas for the Africa-EU strategy do not sufficiently reflect African priorities, specifically those outlined in the Abidjan Declaration and Agenda 2063. The authors urge African negotiators to push for a more holistic, people-centred approach that prioritises poverty eradication, healthcare systems, transport infrastructure, and internet access, while using the COVID-19 pandemic as a catalyst for debt relief and increased health support.

A briefing by the Institute for Security Studies regarding a seminar on Zimbabwe's political and economic instability held on 27 November 2002.

This research paper by Godfrey M Musila examines the potential role of the Pan-African Parliament and the proposed African Court of Justice and Human Rights within a hypothetical continental political union for Africa, arguing that both institutions would require significant reform to function in such a system.

This research paper examines the exclusion of women's experiences from mainstream depictions of war, specifically focusing on female soldiers in Sierra Leone. It argues for the recognition of wartime rape as a tactic of war and the need to address the insecurity faced by women and children during and after conflict to create effective post-conflict policies.

This research paper by Sibusiso Masuku describes the development of a crime reduction strategy for the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Municipality (NMMM) in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. Supported by the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) and the Open Society Foundation, the project involved a crime audit to identify local safety challenges and capacity gaps, resulting in a strategy focused on partnerships, bylaw enforcement, and environmental design.

This report presents the findings of a national household survey on violence against women in Malawi, conducted by the National Statistics Office's Crime and Justice Statistical Division and funded by the UK's Department for International Development (DFID) through the MaSSAJ programme.

This briefing by the Institute for Security Studies argues that the military victory over Muammar Gaddafi in Libya is only the beginning of a difficult process to achieve political stability. The author identifies immediate security crises, including the proliferation of weapons and the lack of a unified command for security forces, alongside long-term structural challenges such as the need to build state institutions from the ground up and the requirement for national reconciliation.

This text is an introduction to a research paper by Naomi Kok of the Institute for Security Studies. It identifies the Southern African Development Community (SADC) as the primary body for peace and security in sub-Saharan Africa but notes that its post-conflict reconstruction and development (PCRD) efforts have been limited. The paper aims to explore structural challenges within SADC and how South Africa can overcome constraints to strengthen these PCRD activities.

This report by the Institute for Security Studies examines crime patterns and policing effectiveness in inner Johannesburg, specifically focusing on the Hillbrow area. It utilizes survey data from 1,100 residents to analyze the prevalence of robbery, assault, and drug use, while evaluating the impact of SAPS resource allocation and community perceptions of crime.

This briefing discusses the political instability and foreign policy of Eritrea, including concerns over President Isaias Afwerki's health and the country's efforts to undermine Ethiopia. It also reports on Kofi Annan's visit to Kenya to assess electoral preparedness for the March 2013 elections.

This research paper, based on a qualitative study conducted in April and May 2003, examines the exploitative gender dynamics and sexual abuse of local women and girls by peacekeepers in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUC) and Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL). The author analyzes how financial disparities, power imbalances, and a 'peacekeeping economy' contribute to sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA), while evaluating the effectiveness of gender training and conduct committees in these missions.

This research paper examines the implementation and failure of the arms embargo imposed on Somalia in 1992, using it as a case study to identify the necessary conditions for the effective enforcement of similar sanctions across Africa.

This policy brief from the Institute for Security Studies argues for the reform of Guinea-Bissau's electoral laws to improve transparency, strengthen the National Electoral Commission, and enable the implementation of local elections as envisioned in the Constitution.

This policy brief outlines the political transition in Guinea following the 2010 presidential elections and identifies five priority areas for the new president, Alpha Condé, to address systemic economic decay, insecurity, and ethno-political tensions.

This research paper examines the emergence of the Sabaot Land Defence Force (SLDF) in Kenya's Mount Elgon region, analyzing how historical land injustices and systemic grievances led to the militianisation of resource conflicts.

This briefing reports on the unrest in Mombasa following the killing of Sheikh Aboud Rogo Mohammed on 27 August 2012, the subsequent violence targeting security forces and churches, and the broader security implications regarding radicalization and upcoming elections in Kenya.

This briefing by the Institute for Security Studies examines the Military Veterans Act of 2011 in South Africa, analyzing the gap between the legislative promises of benefits for former combatants and the practical capacity of the Department of Military Veterans (DMV) to implement them.