Institute For Security Studies
The Institute for Security Studies (ISS) is a pan-African policy research organisation focused on human security, governance and conflict analysis across the continent. It conducts research, offers training and provides policy advice to governments, regional bodies and international partners on issues including organised crime, terrorism, illicit trade and natural-resource governance. The institute has offices in several African cities, including Pretoria, Nairobi, Addis Ababa and Dakar, giving it a broad continental footprint. Its analysts frequently publish reports and commentary on conflict dynamics in the Great Lakes region, including illicit gold and mineral smuggling networks linking the Democratic Republic of Congo to regional and global markets. The ISS works closely with regional economic communities such as the Economic Community of Central African States and the African Union on peace and security matters. It is regularly cited by journalists and policymakers as an independent source of expertise on organised crime, artisanal mining and cross-border security threats in sub-Saharan Africa. The institute also monitors armed groups and their financing mechanisms, including those operating in eastern Congo. Its research informs debates on curbing corruption and improving mineral-supply-chain transparency. Established to strengthen African-led approaches to security challenges, the ISS has grown into one of the continent's most cited security-research bodies. It maintains partnerships with donor governments and international organisations to fund its research and outreach programmes.
Institute For Security Studies Updates
Mozambique’s army is losing a crucial counter-insurgency battle
By: ISS, Institute for Security Studies 5th October 2026 Foreign training has strengthened the army, but abuses against civilians undermine the community support needed to defeat insurgents. When... →
Agri SA, Institute for Security Studies formalise commitment to combat rural crime
By: Marleny Arnoldi 30th September 2026 Industry body Agri SA has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Institute for Security Studies (ISS), which formalises a working... →
South Africa’s police reset depends on 140 station commanders
By: ISS, Institute for Security Studies 29th September 2026 The new reform agenda puts high-crime stations in the spotlight, but their commanders need the tools and authority to succeed. Recommendations from... →
#LGE2026: Seven claims from the DA’s election manifesto fact-checked
By: Africa Check 28th September 2026 South Africans will vote in local government elections on 4 November 2026. Survey data from Afrobarometer suggests that unemployment, crime, water... →
SA local elections will test voters’ ability to spot fake news
By: ISS, Institute for Security Studies 25th September 2026 Public confidence in identifying disinformation is falling just as AI and hyper-local campaigning make election manipulation harder to detect.... →
Can South Africa catch the next state capture early?
By: ISS, Institute for Security Studies 21st September 2026 A new ISS anti-corruption tracker uses AI to identify patterns and warning signs in a wide range of government institutions. South Africa knows the... →
Instant payments outpace Central Africa’s anti-money laundering controls
By: ISS, Institute for Security Studies 17th September 2026 The region has joined an African cross-border payment system built for speed and trade – but it could accelerate financial crime. Sending money... →
Can Africa take ownership of the AU-US infrastructure deal?
By: ISS, Institute for Security Studies 8th September 2026 Early momentum is real, but AU member states, private capital and wary US investors have yet to be brought on board. Since the African Union... →
Europe’s heatwave warning for Africa: fast-track a climate leapfrog
By: ISS, Institute for Security Studies 7th September 2026 A looming super El Niño makes Africa’s leap from fossil fuels to a renewables-dominated energy mix urgent. The heatwave that swept Europe this... →
Has the AU successfully taken Africa’s G20 baton from South Africa?
By: ISS, Institute for Security Studies 7th September 2026 Africa’s G20 priorities have lost ground under the US presidency, with little pushback from the AU or other development-focused members. Has the... →
