IGAD | AfSol Journal

Tag: IGAD

Navigating the Complexities of Democratisation in South Sudan

Posted by admin | Jul 29, 2026 |

South Sudan’s pursuit of democracy has proven challenging, with the country descending into civil war just two years after gaining independence. Despite mediation efforts by various regional and international actors, the situation remains highly unstable. This article critically examines the trajectory and prospects for democratisation in South Sudan. Specifically, it analyses the role of the primary mediator, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), in promoting democratic transition. The article develops a conceptual and theoretical framework centred on the notion of the democraticness of international organisations and applies it to assess IGAD’s role in post-conflict South Sudan. The empirical analysis highlights IGAD’s limited democratic credentials and shows how these constraints have contributed to the weak implementation of democracy promoting provisions within South Sudan’s peace agreements. As democracy promotion remains a central concern for international actors such as IGAD, their commitment to democratic principles can play a crucial signalling role to domestic political elites and complement the efforts of pro-democracy civil society groups.

AMISOM and African-Centred Solutions to Peace and Security Challenges

Posted by admin | Apr 2, 2019 |

The success of the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) seems to vindicate emerging scholarly and policy optimism regarding Africa’s potential to solve its peace and security problems through Africa-centred responses. To explain this African-led intervention’s success–despite Africa’s apparent institutional and resource limitations and in the context of the 1992-93 US-led Operation Restore Hope’s failures–this desk-based inquiry underlines the commitment, shared values, and ownership that typify AMISOM. I advance an “African-Centred Solutions” (AfSol) perspective that is rooted in Afro-optimist analyses which, basing on Africa’s past dealings with foreign actors, argues that “borrowed fists” cannot solve [most of] Africa’s security problems. Evidently, unlike non-Africa-centred interventions, AMISOM relied on the AfSol approach whose pillars–genuine commitment, shared Pan-African values, and a sense of ownership–engendered its success by incentivising states to withstand the Mission’s costs and to tirelessly mobilise foreign support. Throughout, Africans incorporated and reflected AfSol principles, by: initiating the Mission-building upon IGAD’s efforts; persisting amidst the Mission’s human, resource, and politico-security costs; involving both local and foreign Somalis; and integrating disparate intervention programmes into a single, AU-sanctioned Mission. AMISOM’s success underscores the need to harness Africa’s potential to address its peace and security challenges.