Spotlight: Partnering to bridge foreign policy gaps

The ISS is working with the United States Institute of Peace to shape better foreign and domestic policy in Africa.

Published on 26 October 2016 in Impact

How have foreign interventions affected domestic dynamics in key African countries? A new partnership between the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) and the United States Institute of Peace (USIP) aims to answer this question.

‘USIP’s mission is to prevent, mitigate and resolve violent conflict. We approached ISS to partner on this project in light of its reputation for excellent research across a broad range of countries and because of its strong relationship with African policymakers’, says Elizabeth Murray, senior program officer on USIP's Africa Team. ‘We are convinced that high-quality analysis on the potential for conflict in key countries on the continent and the drivers of their foreign policy is a critical tool for US, African and international policy makers to prevent violence.’

In the first of two reports, the ISS and USIP jointly selected Uganda as the first case study given the simmering internal tensions and the country's regional leadership role. The report analyses Uganda’s recent international interventions and the drivers behind them. It also offers unique insight into the country’s domestic politics and future foreign policy. A second report on Chad is due to be published later this year.

'We approached ISS to partner on this project in light of its reputation for excellent research'

‘The reports are aimed at US and African policy makers to show them how the decisions they make have an effect on domestic and foreign policy,’ says Stephanie Wolters, Head of the ISS Peace and Security Research Programme. ‘By focusing on the interplay between international support for African countries’ foreign policies and domestic politics, we’re helping continental and international policy makers understand the dynamics of foreign interventions in Africa so that they can make more informed decisions in future.’ The report will be launched at a seminar in Pretoria on 7 November.

The research is a result of semi-structured face-to-face and telephonic interviews conducted in Uganda, Ethiopia, and the United States over an 11-month period. Interviewees ranged from government ministers and diplomats to civil society and youth leaders. Information gathered from this broad range of stakeholders allowed researchers to gain unique perspectives on the impact of foreign interventions in Africa. These views will help policy makers understand the impact of their decisions domestically and internationally.

Through its office in Addis Ababa, the ISS is continuing to build on its relationship with USIP including through a partnership between USIP, ISS and the Institute for Peace and Security Studies to facilitate and convene a series of dialogues and working sessions with African policy makers and thought leaders on the challenge of state fragility. This initiative is a result of the Fragility Study Group report, launched in Washington, DC, in September 2016. As part of the partnership, a follow-on event will be held in Addis Ababa in mid-November on the partnership between the US and the African Union.

USIP and ISS have also held discussions on the situation in South Sudan and will explore ideas and recommendations to find a solution to the political crisis in that country.

For more information, contact:

Stephanie Wolters, ISS: [email protected], +27 72 433 4808