ISS, Institute for Security Studies
What next for Mali as Wagner fails to defeat insurgents?
15th September 2025 A new report suggests that Niger, Burkina Faso – and Europe can learn a lot from Wagner’s failure in Mali. Last month The Sentry, a United States... →
Has external support given the CAR a false sense of security?
15th September 2025 With elections planned for December, authorities should use their position of strength to tackle the roots of the country’s crisis. Since his... →
JAS resurgence deepens Lake Chad Basin’s complex security crisis
11th September 2025 Focusing only on Boko Haram’s ISWAP faction is no longer an option for the region’s security forces. After being weakened by years of clashes with... →
Can electoral reforms deliver credible polls in Malawi?
10th September 2025 Next week’s election will be a test for democracy after the 2019 annulment triggered a raft of electoral reforms. Malawi returns to the polls on 16... →
Was South Sudan a test for shaping US peace operations policy?
10th September 2025 The UN mission’s mandate was eventually renewed, but concerns about a US retreat from peace support operations abound. The United Nations Security... →
Why did SA’s police minister order the Political Killings Task Team shutdown?
9th September 2025 Two imminent inquiries must clarify whether the minister was motivated by valid concerns or improper political motives. At his dramatic 6 July... →
Trump’s bullying shows signs of backfiring
5th September 2025 India defies US President Donald Trump’s bullying; will African countries do the same? Are United States (US) President Donald Trump’s attempts to... →
Role of women in Chad’s kidnapping for ransom crisis
4th September 2025 Solving the problem requires understanding the multiple roles that women play in enabling kidnapping economies. Kidnapping for ransom has become... →
The rising stakes of foreign investment in Africa
3rd September 2025 With labour’s contribution to economic growth steadily growing, Africa must focus on improving inward financial flows. In the early stages of... →
Using the power of technology to prevent violence against children
1st September 2025 Digital parenting support offers a scalable and cost-effective way to prevent violence against children and ensure happy families. Headlines of... →
Why the AfCFTA can’t simply plug the US trade gap
29th August 2025 Africa’s continental free trade area offers long-term promise, but expecting it to quickly compensate for US trade losses may be unrealistic.... →
Criminal networks exploit Nigerian children in illegal oil trade
28th August 2025 Children are drawn into dangerous oil theft operations after witnessing the financial benefits that peers and adults gain from this illicit work.... →
Ethiopia’s National Dialogue needs time and an interim report
27th August 2025 An interim report may help the National Dialogue regain credibility, seize early wins and justify its need for additional time. Many agree that... →
Remittances as development finance: Africa’s overlooked billions
26th August 2025 Other global south economies provide valuable lessons on successfully transforming remittance flows into broad-based growth. In just over a decade,... →
Saudi Arabia in Africa: the Kingdom courts the continent
25th August 2025 Saudi Arabia’s late entry into Africa reflects its wider shift from religious outreach to strategic, state-led engagement. As Saudi Arabia seeks to... →
Trump turns global human rights on their head
22nd August 2025 The 2024 State Department Human Rights Reports transform democrats into despots in a reflection of Trump and MAGA values. Few things illustrate US... →
Displacement as a weapon of war: targeting Africa’s most vulnerable
21st August 2025 From Sudan to the DRC and Mozambique, armed groups prey on refugees to instil fear and consolidate power. On the second anniversary of Sudan’s... →
G20 can bridge opposing power blocks through climate action
20th August 2025 Could Africa’s first G20 bring like-minded G7 and BRICS+ members together to accelerate climate action? The global climate action agenda is under... →
Growth and identity: right goals, wrong game plan for SA’s National Dialogue
20th August 2025 With inclusive economic growth, SA’s rainbow nation dream is possible – but can an ANC-dominated dialogue deliver? Amidst significant discord,... →
ICJ climate opinion shows the power of youth and global south solidarity
14th August 2025 The unanimous decision clarifies governments’ obligations and provides a precedent for African human rights-based cases. In 2019, law students in... →
Ghana's digital revolution could finally unlock economic growth
13th August 2025 From smart IDs to AI hubs, digitisation can fast-track growth and close the gap with global peers like South Korea. Ghana and South Korea gained... →
Unravelling the illicit economies that sustain terrorism in the Sahel
13th August 2025 The African Union is uniquely positioned to lead coordinated responses that disrupt criminal networks, strengthen border security and cut arms... →
Angola’s wave of protests reflects historic lows in MPLA support
11th August 2025 The current cost-of-living demonstrations indicate widespread dissatisfaction that could continue into the 2027 electoral year. Thousands of people... →
Can Africa stand together against Trump’s tariff assault?
8th August 2025 Some say Africa should present a unified response to US tariffs – but is that possible? It is hard to discern a continental pattern in United... →
Overfishing forces Zambia’s third Lake Tanganyika fishing ban
7th August 2025 Once-abundant fish stocks must be replenished, but the ban alone won’t inspire more sustainable lake use by local communities. Lake Tanganyika is... →
Trump’s deportation deals signal a troubling shift in US-Africa relations
6th August 2025 Eswatini and South Sudan are just two on a list of many African countries America has asked to accept violent criminals. United States (US)... →
October elections will reveal the extent of Tanzania’s democratic decline
4th August 2025 As the country slides towards electoral authoritarianism, even SADC and EAC election observers have been excluded from the polls. Tanzania is... →
Liberation Movements Summit tries to revive its members’ declining fortunes
1st August 2025 The annual summit of the six Southern African liberation movements reveals why they haven’t evolved. The 2025 Liberation Movements Summit provided... →
Chad’s struggle for democracy is far from over
31st July 2025 Barely a year after restoring constitutional order and dominating elections, Chad’s government is doubling down against opposition and free speech.... →
Africa must ride the High Seas Treaty wave
30th July 2025 Having shaped the treaty, Africa must capitalise on recent global momentum to benefit from a new era in ocean governance. In June, the third United... →
How a Boko Haram faction entrenched itself near Nigeria’s capital
30th July 2025 New evidence shows how JAS’ Shiroro cell adopts a flexible approach that tolerates local bandits and their vices. The Shiroro cell of a Boko Haram... →
Disunity in Somalia is al-Shabaab’s greatest weapon
28th July 2025 Cyclical rivalries between the federal government, states and the political opposition have undermined the counter-terrorism strategy’s early... →
Morocco's alleged dollar diplomacy is yielding dividends
25th July 2025 More and more countries – and former SA President Jacob Zuma – are backing Rabat’s plan for autonomy for Western Sahara. Former South African... →
Could old alliances bridge West Africa’s security cooperation gaps?
24th July 2025 The politically neutral Conseil de l’Entente could revive urgently needed security partnerships among Sahel and coastal states. Security and... →
Mali, Mauritania and Senegal must unite against cross-border terrorism
23rd July 2025 The threat of a terrorist blockade of Mali’s Kayes and Nioro towns would be disastrous for all three countries. Western Mali, bordering Mauritania... →
South Africa and Nigeria need opposite approaches to their informal sectors
22nd July 2025 Governments should harness the potential of informality as a bridge rather than a barrier to building economic resilience. Nigeria and South Africa... →
Trump’s Africa summit: outsourcing America’s immigration problem?
21st July 2025 The US president reportedly asked the five African nations at his summit to accept third-country asylum seekers. United States (US) President... →
Africa needs a voice on information integrity and media freedom
18th July 2025 South Africa’s G20 presidency shouldn’t drop the baton passed by Brazil on this crucial issue that underpins good governance. As leaders of the... →
SA’s Special Investigating Unit shows how corruption can be beaten
15th July 2025 In South Africa’s struggling anti-corruption landscape, leadership and operational independence are among the factors enabling the unit’s success.... →
Lake Chad Basin’s military bases in ISWAP’s crosshairs
14th July 2025 Remote and poorly resourced outposts are soft targets for attacks, and a weak point in regional counter-terrorism efforts. At least 15 confirmed... →
Regional trade could focus South Africa’s muddled foreign policy
11th July 2025 Coalition governance is messy, but parties should be able to agree on prioritising economic growth and trade into Africa. South Africa’s Government... →
