ISS, Institute for Security Studies
Could Senegal help mediate tensions between ECOWAS and AES states?
12th June 2024 Given their favourable standing with Alliance of Sahel States (AES) countries, Senegal’s new leaders could resolve regional tensions. Since taking... →
UN funds for AU peace operations: Somalia as a test case
12th June 2024 Should the African Union focus on a single situation – or apply UN Security Council Resolution 2719 to various conflicts? Last December, the United... →
Can presidentialism save Tshisekedi from the ‘lame duck’ syndrome?
10th June 2024 By giving loyalists and technocrats ministerial posts, Tshisekedi hopes to insulate them from politics and ensure a fluid government. Five months... →
Samia Suluhu Hassan’s hesitant reforms
10th June 2024 Having initiated democratic change, Tanzania’s president appears to be fighting a rearguard action by Magufulist hardliners. After she succeeded... →
Better policing in South Africa is well within reach
7th June 2024 SA has the necessary skills and resources – we need the president and police minister to make reform their mission. Imagine a South Africa where... →
Debt relief should be the African Union’s focus at the G20
6th June 2024 To succeed, all six of the AU’s G20 priorities depend on improving the fiscal health of indebted countries. The African Union (AU) became a full... →
Governance scenarios in South Africa: growth vs stability?
5th June 2024 Two possible national coalitions (ANC-DA-IFP or ANC-MK) are a choice between economic growth and stability, with KZN as the sacrificial lamb. The... →
EU visa restrictions on Ethiopians reflect strained migration relations
3rd June 2024 The punitive measures reflect a history of major EU investment in Ethiopia’s migration governance – with few results. Since 29 April, the European... →
William Ruto wins in Washington – but does Kenya?
31st May 2024 Not all Kenyans are enchanted by the prospect of being America’s main partner in sub-Saharan Africa. Kenyan President William Ruto last week made... →
SAMIM withdrawal from Cabo Delgado: uncomfortable truths
30th May 2024 Why is the region turning away from an international terrorist organisation on its doorstep that is growing in influence? On 16 May, Islamic State... →
Dialogue and negotiation: alternative solutions to Boko Haram conflict?
30th May 2024 Military operations are needed, but haven’t stopped Boko Haram attacks. Complementary non-kinetic efforts must be considered. Fifteen years since... →
Elections will reveal SA’s exposure to digital influence as a service
28th May 2024 Without access to social media data, ensuring voters have verifiable information rather than manipulated content is difficult. Nationalist content... →
Faking cash and making cash in the DRC
22nd May 2024 The DRC is an origin, transit and destination country for counterfeit currency, most of which is US dollar-denominated. In February 2021, Ugandan... →
Lack of constitutional reform stalls The Gambia’s democratic transition
21st May 2024 Political divisions over limiting presidential power and terms in office have brought the process to a standstill. The Gambia’s ambitious... →
Could Mozambique’s next president change tack on Cabo Delgado?
20th May 2024 New leadership could take the long overdue step of balancing security and development policies to prevent terrorism. On 5 May, the ruling... →
Egypt tries to navigate around Rafah
17th May 2024 Israel’s long-feared attack on Rafah in southern Gaza has put Cairo on the spot. Israel’s deadly assault on Gaza – including the recent escalation... →
Retaining US influence in Africa requires bridge-building with China
15th May 2024 In a complex new multipolar world, a country’s allies and friends will determine the global pecking order. Despite its large population, Africa is... →
Can the Movement for Change break Ghana’s biparty democracy?
14th May 2024 With the right strategy, Ghana’s fledgling new party could become a political force to be reckoned with. For three decades, Ghana’s political... →
Kenya is once again in FATF’s crosshairs
9th May 2024 To curb money laundering, financial oversight of the real estate, legal, casino and transport sectors must be improved. The Financial Action Task... →
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... →
