The DRC and its Neighbourhood: The Political Economy of Peace
On 24 February 2013, 11 African countries signed the Addis Ababa Framework Agreement designed to bring peace to the Great Lakes Region, in particular the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), which has been in the grip of armed conflict for two decades.
South Africa and China: building bridges to beneficiation
The announcement of a joint agreement between the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) and Hebei Iron and Steel Group to open a steel mill in Phalaborwa could signal a new stage in the longstanding relationship between South Africa and China.
Africa and the Global Human Rights Agenda: The African Group at the UN Human Rights Council
This policy briefing examines the behaviour of African countries in country-specific situations at the UN Human Rights Council (HRC), focusing specifically on developments and examples that occurred between July 2010 and July 2014.
South Africa’s Diplomacy 20 Years On: Implementing the African Agenda around Core Values, Principles and Issues
After 20 years of democracy, post-apartheid South Africa has been successfully reintegrated into international affairs.
China and Zimbabwe: The Context and Contents of a Complex Relationship
China’s relationship with Africa has been the subject of considerable interest and controversy.
Promoting Peer Review as a Compliance Mechanism for Regional Integration
Multilateral organisations have long used peer review as a means to encourage compliance with commitments made in the pursuit of various socio-economic goals.
Chinese Resources-For-Infrastructure Swaps: An Escape from the Resource Curse?
This paper discusses whether resources-for-infrastructure (R4I) swaps employed by the Chinese government and companies reduce or increase the risk that a resource-rich country will fall prey to the resource curse.
Will Rising Democracies Adopt Pro-human Rights Foreign Policies?
Democratic governments worldwide behave hypocritically when it comes to human rights and foreign policy. The international community should hold them accountable and help them to close the gap between rhetoric and practice.
Do African Union Governance Reviews Work?
Does being an active member of the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM), the instrument adopted by the African Union to improve the quality of governance across the continent, help a country improve its rankings in the Ibrahim Index of African Governance (IIAG)?
Getting Down to Business: Lessons from the African Peer Review Mechanism
As part of its multi-pronged inquiry, the APRM devotes a great deal of attention to investigating corporate governance in Africa.