ISS, Institute for Security Studies
Can Chad’s November elections improve on past disputed polls?
10th September 2024 The upcoming elections are vital for returning Chad to constitutional rule, but to do so, they must be fair and credible. Chad has been in... →
The end of ISWAP’s ‘hearts and minds’ strategy?
9th September 2024 As the terrorist group’s relations with civilians deteriorate, governments should use the opportunity to rebuild trust with affected communities.... →
Two Western Cape towns bridge the poverty and race divide
4th September 2024 The people of Hoekwil and Touwsranten recognised their shared desire for safety, and in 2021 they tried something different. Many people are deeply... →
Growing danger of terrorist jailbreaks in West Africa
3rd September 2024 The pattern of targeting detention facilities shows that insurgents are determined to break their members out of prison. The attack on the... →
Is peace possible between Sudan’s warring parties?
2nd September 2024 Achieving lasting peace requires parties to negotiate with adversaries – no matter how difficult this may be. Ever since conflict erupted in Sudan... →
New AU mission for Somalia: old problems, fresh solutions?
29th August 2024 To succeed in tackling al-Shabaab, the new peace support operation needs appropriate resourcing and protection from regional tensions. Seventeen... →
Can FOCAC adapt to meet Africa’s long-term needs?
29th August 2024 African countries’ bilateral deals with China should be clearly aligned with the continent’s development goals. The Forum on China-Africa... →
Better late than never? Uganda convicts rebel in landmark case
29th August 2024 After spending 15 years in custody, LRA Commander Thomas Kwoyelo’s conviction raises questions about Uganda’s commitment to trying international... →
A single anti-corruption agency is a high-risk option for South Africa
26th August 2024 Unless informed by local conditions and complexities, anti-corruption reforms could trigger political instability. Corruption and state capture... →
Ethiopia’s transitional justice: tensions around international experts’ role need swift resolution
21st August 2024 Ensuring national ownership of the transitional justice process need not preclude drawing on valuable international expertise. Ethiopia’s... →
Community-oriented policing: missing link in AU counter-terrorism operations
20th August 2024 Despite being recognised globally as an effective strategy, community-oriented policing has been underused in Africa’s peace missions. Since 2018,... →
African protest politics – coincidence, correction or contagion?
19th August 2024 In a new era of political activism and change, Africa’s youth are no longer content to sit on the sidelines. A wave of protests has swept across... →
Western Sahara’s quest for independence seems to be flagging
16th August 2024 More countries appear to be backing Morocco’s plan for ‘autonomy’ rather than independence, but will that be enough? The Sahrawi Arab Democratic... →
Angola’s crackdown on protesters could fuel separatist violence
15th August 2024 Using harsh justice to resolve a political struggle could lead to youth radicalisation and violence in eastern Angola. On 30 July, an Angolan court... →
When are African women athletes woman enough?
13th August 2024 The Paris Olympics were a reminder of how sports are the latest chapter in Eurocentric ideals that cruelly affect African women. The Paris Olympics... →
Democracy crisis or state crisis in Africa?
12th August 2024 For democracy and multilateralism in Africa to prosper, the continent needs strong states with institutions that deliver. Africa’s myriad... →
Is Russia’s war against Ukraine spilling over into Africa?
12th August 2024 Dangerous signs of a proxy Russia-Ukraine war on the continent could have grave implications for Africa. Russia appears to be intensifying its... →
Large-scale future migration will reshape global demographics
8th August 2024 Instead of reinforcing borders, African and Western governments should handle unprecedented migration levels by negotiating skilled-worker... →
AI can turn the tide on organised environmental crime in Africa
8th August 2024 Artificial intelligence offers innovative solutions to the expensive and time-consuming business of policing environmental crimes. Effective law... →
Sudanese are losing hope with each new peace initiative
7th August 2024 The array of peace processes has allowed the warring parties to forum-shop while the humanitarian crisis intensifies. After Sudan’s third civil war... →
AU Commissioners must be elected for their ideas, not personalities
6th August 2024 For the African Union to remain relevant, its leaders should be judged by their capacity to renew Africa’s broken multilateralism. The African... →
US military is leaving Niger even less secure: why it didn’t succeed in combating terrorism
5th August 2024 The United States is winding down its military operations in Niger ahead of a mid-September deadline agreed with the country’s ruling military... →
In Libya, everything comes down to military muscle
5th August 2024 The arrest of Libyans who allegedly received military training in South Africa hints at the nature of power in the north African country. Were 95... →
How would Trump 2.0 impact African economies?
1st August 2024 African winners will be those countries that pragmatically play to Trump’s ego and self-proclaimed dealmaker status. As America’s election race... →
Are the Olympics ‘wide open’ to Africans?
31st July 2024 Many Africans are denied access to sporting events, and athletes and performers are exposed to discrimination and racial abuse. The Olympics kicked... →
Cracks emerge in Hichilema’s bold anti-corruption platform
30th July 2024 The president’s dissolution of the anti-graft unit’s board raises questions as senior officials fall under the corruption spotlight. Zambia’s... →
ICJ rules that ending Palestine’s occupation is a global undertaking
25th July 2024 As the largest bloc of countries that recognises Palestine, Africa could lead the effort at the UN General Assembly. Barely 48 hours after Israel’s... →
Africa has much to gain from a more contained BRI
24th July 2024 Despite the Belt and Road’s mixed record in Africa, careful involvement in China’s smaller, greener projects could be beneficial. China’s Belt and... →
As AES and ECOWAS drift apart, dialogue on the fundamentals is vital
23rd July 2024 Stability in West Africa requires that both organisations take pragmatic and flexible approaches, and learn from past mistakes. Military juntas in... →
Time for Ethiopia’s political elite to demonstrate vision
22nd July 2024 The country needs a nationwide ceasefire and for political settlement through dialogue to be prioritised over factionalism and ethnic rivalry.... →
Is the world finally growing weary of Kagame’s excesses?
22nd July 2024 After another landslide election victory, there are signs that the international community is growing impatient with Rwanda’s president. Rwanda’s... →
South Africa could build a united front on a just transition
19th July 2024 Could policy convergence on climate change be a ray of hope in the country’s new Government of National Unity? South Africa’s Government of... →
Will Kenya be better prepared when floods hit again?
16th July 2024 Flooding claimed many lives and left hundreds of thousands displaced, dispossessed and angry at the authorities who failed them. Barely two months... →
Stability in Mali requires more inclusive national dialogue
15th July 2024 Broad political consensus is needed for the country to benefit from some promising decisions made at the recent dialogue. Most of Mali’s political... →
Military muscle rather than mediation prevails in DRC
15th July 2024 Despite a growing military coalition, President Tshisekedi is failing to subdue the M23 rebels in his country’s east. A burgeoning coalition of... →
Ethiopia’s national dialogue needs a reset
11th July 2024 Considering that major political movements and actors reject the ongoing dialogue, a temporary pause and recalibration should be considered. Since... →
Why the African Union should weigh in on the Gaza crisis
10th July 2024 Unlike its ambiguous response to the Russia-Ukraine war, the AU’s position on the destruction of Gaza has been clear. Although not an African... →
Is Cape Town’s drop in business robbery a cause for concern?
9th July 2024 A fall in business robberies over the past decade could indicate rising levels of extortion and organised crime. South Africa is a country plagued... →
Mozambique can learn from other African countries about hosting IDPs
8th July 2024 Assisting internally displaced people is crucial for humanitarian and security reasons, but the government has no plan to support them.... →
Meaningful dialogue can forge positive change in South Africa
8th July 2024 Those convening the national dialogue promised by President Ramaphosa could learn from the innovative Violence Prevention Forum. On 30 June,... →
Hasty constitutional reforms deepen tensions in Togo
4th July 2024 Togo’s successive crises have been driven by conflicts relating to presidential term limits and democratic power transfers. Togo’s recently revised... →
