ISS, Institute for Security Studies
Ethiopia’s proposed Special Prosecutor: history repeating itself?
8th May 2024 The forthcoming Special Prosecutor’s Office must do better than the mechanism set up to deal with Dergue-era crimes. Ethiopia’s new transitional... →
Five worrying signs of Africa’s poor election quality
7th May 2024 Globally and in Africa, many electoral processes suffer from a lack of transparency, trust and oversight. This is a crucial election year for... →
Ukraine steps up its charm offensive in Africa
3rd May 2024 Ukraine has opened several new African embassies, still hoping for a better return on its investment. While struggling ever harder to prevent... →
Global carbon tax urgently needed to manage the climate crisis
2nd May 2024 ISS modelling shows that carbon taxing can have major benefits if all nations contribute based on their income status. As the world faces a climate... →
Defending democracy, the Senegalese way
30th April 2024 Senegal’s people stood up to protect their democracy rather than wait for the military or external help. After three tumultuous years, Senegal’s... →
Boko Haram factional violence worries Islamic State
26th April 2024 In its quest to expand beyond North East Nigeria, JAS–ISWAP clashes aren’t in the global terror group’s interests. In October 2023, Boko Haram’s... →
Time is right for a South Atlantic climate alliance
24th April 2024 With their leading roles regionally and in the G20 and COP30, a Brazil-South Africa partnership could prompt useful south-south ties. Africa’s... →
Will Senegal’s new president shake up external relations?
22nd April 2024 Despite pre-election rhetoric, long-standing principles and regional realities will likely guide international relations. Bassirou Diomaye Faye’s... →
Zimbabwe’s new ZiG doomed by overall lack of transparency
22nd April 2024 Economic mismanagement has stripped citizens’ trust in the government and threatens the new currency’s viability. The struggle to stabilise... →
Can dialogue rescue South Sudan from a perpetual transition?
18th April 2024 As in 2022, elections could again be postponed. What should the proposed dialogue do differently to break the cycle? The feasibility of South... →
Escalation of Middle East hostilities will have ripple effects for Africa
17th April 2024 Africa could be drawn into proxy battles that have domino effects on security, foreign investment and trade relationships. This weekend’s events in... →
Somalia’s EAC contribution depends on cutting organised crime
16th April 2024 East African Community member states must support Somalia’s efforts to curb destabilising criminal markets. On 15 December 2023, Somalia took a... →
Ramaphosa tries to patch up relations with Rwanda
16th April 2024 Has South Africa’s leader been advised to put on hold the Southern African Development Community mission in east DRC? Could South African President... →
South Africa’s polls unlikely to result in widespread public violence
12th April 2024 South Africa’s 29 May national and provincial elections will be the hardest fought since the birth of the country’s democracy in 1994. Surveys show... →
Kidnappings in Chad could spark a regional security crisis
9th April 2024 Kidnappers have terrorised Chad’s southern Mayo-Kebbi West and Logone Oriental provinces for over two decades. Between 2020 and 2023, the number of... →
Eswatini’s democratic reform process in jeopardy
8th April 2024 Fifteen months after the murder of political activist Thulani Maseko, the political reform movement he ably led also seems to have died. If it were... →
Abandon ship: uncrewed vessels threaten Africa’s maritime security
5th April 2024 As technology advances, African states must prepare for the crewless future of naval threats. Maritime drone deployment in offensive operations in... →
Global south: moving off the menu and to the table?
4th April 2024 The global south is a term that elicits much debate and discussion. Is it appropriate? Is it relevant? Is it offensive? These were questions a... →
Fair, victim-centred trials are key to transitional justice in Ethiopia
3rd April 2024 The draft criminal procedure and evidence code must be approved to ensure the legitimacy of trials in the transitional justice process. Criminal... →
Pretoria walks a tightrope on US relations
28th March 2024 Biden’s administration is resisting hostility towards SA from Congress – but if Trump wins in November, all bets are off. South Africa has been... →
Urbanisation and arms trafficking: a deadly mix in Bamako and Lagos
27th March 2024 Growing populations, established criminal networks and thriving gangs make these cities the perfect market for smugglers. Urban growth in Africa... →
Can Somalia’s new Tubsan Center secure alliances to prevent terrorism?
26th March 2024 Security in Somalia has deteriorated in recent months in the face of rising al-Shabaab attacks. Until recently, military operations, new... →
New panel on Sudan faces many obstacles
25th March 2024 Can the African Union’s new high-level panel succeed where other diplomatic efforts over the past year have failed? Sudan’s 11-month civil war is... →
Youth and the rising climate threat to Africa’s coastal communities
25th March 2024 Given fast-growing coastal populations, African youth should be the focus of climate adaptation efforts and the blue economy. Africa is highly... →
A new champion could drive home African Union reforms
20th March 2024 In 2016, African leaders recognised the imperative for a swift and substantial reform of the African Union (AU). The initiative led by Rwandan... →
When debt and terrorism intersect: the case of Mozambique
20th March 2024 Mozambique’s rocky road from grand corruption to a debt settlement offers hope, but the scars of mismanagement run deep. Financial mismanagement,... →
Online influence and disinformation – preparing for South Africa’s polls
18th March 2024 The electoral commission’s ground rules alone can’t be expected to insulate the country from harmful tactics. As South Africa goes to the polls on... →
Transition in Niger: avoiding the dangers of stagnation
14th March 2024 On 24 February, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) lifted the economic and financial sanctions imposed on Niger after its 26... →
UNMISS is crucial to free and fair elections in South Sudan
12th March 2024 This week, the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) meets to renew the mandate of the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) for another year. It has... →
AU action to bolster elections should start at the top
11th March 2024 Twenty-one African countries are expected to hold elections in 2024, according to the African Union’s (AU) calendar. Already, the first two... →
South Africa struggles to get off the FATF grey list
11th March 2024 How is it that Africa’s most sophisticated, if not always largest, economy is still battling to get off the Financial Action Task Force’s (FATF)... →
Russia’s Africa Corps – more than old wine in a new bottle
8th March 2024 The Russian military company Wagner appears to have been renamed the Africa Corps by Moscow, and brought under the control of Russia’s Defence... →
Ethiopia’s draft transitional justice policy: 10 key observations
7th March 2024 From 21-24 February, Ethiopia’s Justice Ministry held validation workshops on a draft policy to deal with the country’s violent past through... →
Organised criminals make Douala their gateway to global markets
5th March 2024 In May 2023, a customs official in Douala, Cameroon stamped a shipment of timber for export from the Central African Republic (CAR) to China. It... →
The installer must apply to the City to authorise the system for grid connection
4th March 2024 Somalia and Türkiye have forged a new defence and economic partnership. The agreement is one part of an intricate web of maritime pacts involving... →
France plans to terminate Mayotte’s ‘droit du sol’
1st March 2024 Mayotte’s status as a French department – despite being located in the Comoros archipelago off Africa’s east coast – continues to produce unique... →
Northern Cameroon is losing the battle against arms trafficking
29th February 2024 Northern Cameroon has for decades been a hub for ammunition, small arms and light weapons trafficking in the Sahel. The problem has fuelled... →
What kind of influence can Africa wield at the G20?
28th February 2024 The African Union’s (AU) recent inclusion in the G20 has raised questions about its readiness to represent Africa’s interests and influence global... →
African countries join a united front against Israeli occupation
27th February 2024 Between 19 and 26 February, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) held a landmark sitting to hear oral arguments by 51 countries and three... →
Chad’s election dice are loaded as transition deadline looms
26th February 2024 After an unconstitutional takeover in 2021, Chad’s transition to democracy is entering its final phase, with the adoption of the new constitution... →
Africa’s proposed new financial institutions risk being Potemkin villages
23rd February 2024 The African Union (AU) has launched a drive to establish its own panoply of financial institutions to address what it regards as the failure of... →
