Rethinking responses to unconstitutional changes of government in West Africa

This report examines the processes used to manage coups, and recommends how they could be improved.

Could Senegal help mediate tensions between ECOWAS and AES states?

Given their favourable standing with Alliance of Sahel States (AES) countries, Senegal’s new leaders could resolve regional tensions.

Guinea’s new constitution: a platform for political stability?

Legal reforms don’t guarantee stability – but step one is getting the process and content right for a new constitution.

Could Guinea’s current military transition be its last?

With a results-based timeline for holding the authorities accountable, the transition agreement could deliver reform and stability.

Rapport sur la securite humaine dans l'espace CEDEAO

L’objectif de ce rapport est de faire le point sur la situation de la sécurité humaine dans quatre États de l’espace CEDEAO

The Uncertain Future of Libya After Qaddafi's Fall

The Libyan people deserve better governance, but the NATO forces' many violations of international law and the not-so-national character of the rebels do not augur well for the uncertain future of the country.

Guinea: The main challenges of the new president

This policy brief identifies five main areas to which the president should give priority.

What Way Out of the Post-Election Imbroglio in Cote d'Ivoire?

On 2 December 2010, the head of the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) of Côte d'Ivoire announced provisional results of the 28 November run-off presidential election. He declared the former Prime Minister, Alassane Dramane Ouattara as the winner with 54.10 per cent of the votes, against 45.90 per cent for the incumbent president Laurent Gbagbo. But soon as the head of IEC announced the results, the head of the Constitutional Council invalidated them and went ahead, the following day, to proclaim Gbagbo as the winner with some 51.45 per cent of the votes, having scrapped more than 400 000 votes from some constituencies in Ouattara's strongholds in the north of the country.

A critical assessment of security challenges in West Africa

This paper aims to appraise and map the security challenges that have faced West African countries since independence.

Une evaluation critique des defis de la securite en Afrique de la securite en Afrique de l'Ouest

South Africa's Readmission to the UN Security Council

On 12 October 2010, an overwhelming majority of members of the UN General Assembly elected South Africa for a non-permanent seat in the Security Council to serve a two-year term starting in January 2011. Germany, India, Portugal and Colombia were also elected in the same capacity as non-permanent members. South Africa’s most recent and first ever term in the Council was in 2007/2008. The UN Charter does not allow for immediate re-election of non-permanent members.

The AU and the challenge of unconstitutional changes of government in Africa

This paper examines the policy position of the AU with regard to ‘Unconstitutional Changes of Government’ (UCG) in Africa.