ISS, Institute for Security Studies
UN peace operations review may struggle to deliver for Africa
3rd September 2026 The review report reflects some of Africa’s demands, but major challenges threaten the implementation of its recommendations. The long-awaited... →
Can Mali’s FLA-JNIM insurgent alliance survive its internal divisions?
3rd September 2026 The two armed groups are currently united in their opposition to the government, but fundamental differences could break their bond. The coalition... →
Can the African Union remain relevant in Libya?
2nd September 2026 Unless the AU can help coordinate implementation of existing peace initiatives, its influence on the ground may continue to wane. Fifteen years... →
SA can’t tackle migration while ignoring Zimbabwe’s democratic backsliding
31st August 2026 South Africa and SADC’s reluctance to remedy misgovernance in their neighbourhood contributes to migration, sparking xenophobia and causing... →
Conflict and climate: double threat driving Great Lakes displacement
31st August 2026 Climate hazards are compounding decades of conflict-driven displacement, while fragmented responses expose vulnerable communities to repeated... →
Unusual suspects: elders in West Africa’s changing drug trade
27th August 2026 The apparent rise of trafficking by older adults could reflect a new criminal adaptation rather than individual criminality. Adults aged 50 and... →
Africa must unlock the capital beneath its farmers’ feet
26th August 2026 Agriculture is the foundation for Africa’s economic takeoff, but without land tenure reform, its potential will remain untapped. Africa’s quality... →
IDAC’s failures demand reform, not abolition
26th August 2026 South Africa needs IDAC’s specialist anti-corruption capability, but the institution must be repaired and strengthened. Madlanga Commission... →
Hichilema wins a stronger mandate, but Zambia’s democratic test isn’t over
25th August 2026 Late electoral reforms and weak checks on power expose democratic fault lines and raise the stakes for Hichilema’s second term. Zambia’s 13 August... →
SADC’s geopolitical moment will not wait
24th August 2026 The Durban summit identified the right economic priorities, but a geopolitical strategy and credible regional security approach are lacking. This... →
Why the EU’s new AI law matters for South African newsrooms
21st August 2026 SA and legacy media can use this world-first legislation to improve their role as guardians of information integrity in an African context. This... →
Chad’s quiet return to French military support
20th August 2026 Chad’s rapprochement clashes with its recent emphasis on national sovereignty and risks reviving insecurity among neighbours and disillusionment at... →
Can Mozambique’s new counter-terrorism centre deliver?
19th August 2026 The centre fills a major counter-insurgency gap in the north, but the challenge will be translating good intentions into results. In November 2025,... →
Criminal links of South Africa’s private security companies also require scrutiny
17th August 2026 Involvement of criminal actors in the private security industry raises questions about industries’ management of firearms. Whether for good reasons... →
Could the AU’s return to Khartoum bring Sudan closer to peace?
17th August 2026 Reopening its liaison office offers a narrow, but real, opportunity for the African Union to help achieve a ceasefire. The African Union’s (AU)... →
US-China rivalry puts Africa’s climate diplomacy to the test
17th August 2026 Current geopolitical tensions could be catastrophic for climate action, especially Africa’s renewable energy transition. Climate action,... →
Will Kenya investigate and prosecute Sudan’s RSF?
12th August 2026 Prosecuting Rapid Support Forces members in Kenya won’t be easy, but will ultimately depend more on politics than on law or capacity. In June, two... →
Community resilience and inclusion in protracted crises: lessons from the Syrian civil war
12th August 2026 By 2020, Syria's protracted civil war had created one of the world's largest humanitarian crises, including the forced displacement of about 50% of... →
With terrorism on its doorstep, Guinea must tackle internal vulnerabilities
11th August 2026 Guinea’s response to the growing threat must consider domestic risk factors, not just the threat from neighbouring Mali. Guinea has so far been... →
How Sudan’s war is destroying its development future
11th August 2026 Modelling shows that the civil war is pushing an already fragile development trajectory towards systemic collapse. Over 150 000 people have been... →
Without the right tools, COP31’s implementation promise will fail Africa
7th August 2026 Key climate finance decisions have again been deferred, leaving African countries without the tools to deliver on ambitious goals. Geopolitical... →
Women bring vital experience to African peacekeeping missions
7th August 2026 National environments shaping the women who serve should be a central part of discussions about the future of peace operations. Fundamental shifts... →
Rampant kidnappings spread fear and insecurity in Madagascar
6th August 2026 Curbing this violent crime wave could make or break the transitional government – and solutions will require more than military deployment.... →
SADC’s 2026 summit must tackle migration head-on
4th August 2026 The 17 August meeting in Durban should turn shared history and economic interdependence into coordinated action against xenophobia. South Africa’s... →
Boko Haram’s Cameroonian commanders are extending the group’s reach
3rd August 2026 Boko Haram’s growing reliance on its Cameroonian leaders is fuelling attacks in the country and strengthening the group’s resilience. Boko Haram is... →
Rethinking the AU's Somalia peace mission after US funding cuts
29th July 2026 Ending the military-heavy AUSSOM gives the AU space to develop a political mission focused on long-term stabilisation. After nearly 20 years of... →
International criminal justice needs more than solidarity to survive
29th July 2026 As the onslaught against the International Criminal Court continues, champions of justice must back global accountability through action. On 17... →
Fragmented security allows terrorists’ cross-mobility across Lake Chad and Sahel
27th July 2026 As Islamic State affiliates extend their reach, states must find ways to share intelligence and cooperate, despite political fractures. Islamic... →
SA’s anti-immigration movement raises the stakes on social media
24th July 2026 Vigilante videos, AI-generated content and Mandela-linked framing are fuelling millions of mentions and xenophobic sentiment. With weekly... →
South Africa needs smarter visas, not just harder borders
22nd July 2026 A visa regime acknowledging the inevitability of some migration between neighbouring countries could affordably reduce irregular migration. Most... →
Unregistered small vessels: the hidden threat sailing East Africa’s coast
22nd July 2026 From drugs to arms to poaching, unmarked boats sustain a criminal economy threatening coastal livelihoods and security. In October 2025, a major... →
Ethiopia’s National Dialogue could give transitional justice new momentum
20th July 2026 A year-long pause should end in stronger political backing, renewed legitimacy and broader ownership of transitional justice. Ethiopia’s National... →
Central Africa’s shifting alliances between armies and armed groups
17th July 2026 State security forces, militias and vigilante groups increasingly overlap, making insecurity more profitable and conflict harder to resolve. Across... →
US immigration regime undoes FIFA World Cup’s promise of universality
17th July 2026 By blocking many Africans from participating and attending, the US has made a mockery of FIFA’s apparent commitment to universal access. The 2026... →
J’activists: the hybrid nature of conflict journalism in Sudan’s ‘silent war’
15th July 2026 Sudan’s ongoing conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces and Rapid Support Forces, increasingly viewed as a proxy war driven by competing... →
Ghana’s Tarkwa negotiations are testing Africa’s new mining bargain
14th July 2026 For decades, the bargain between states and mining companies was relatively predictable. Governments provided regulatory certainty, companies... →
What will it take for South Africa to outsmart Mandrax traffickers?
14th July 2026 The May seizure of over 700 kg of methaqualone, or Mandrax, was one of the largest at a South African border post in recent years. Acting on... →
Delayed containment of Ebola could cost DRC and Uganda billions
10th July 2026 The Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda presents an urgent public health and development challenge... →
Mkhwanazi opened SA’s eyes to the scale of high-level police corruption
9th July 2026 It has been a year since KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi’s press briefing alleging collusion between senior... →
Weak governance of gold mining still drives conflict in Central Africa
8th July 2026 Gold mining revenues are increasingly bypassing official coffers in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Cameroon. Between 2021 and 2025,... →
Africa must act before deep-sea mining becomes a new battleground
7th July 2026 Malawi, Kenya and Madagascar are the first African countries to take a stand on deep-sea mining (DSM). At the 11th Our Ocean Conference in Mombasa... →
