Briefings
Chinese dominance in Zimbabwe’s lithium mines: Potential risks, vulnerabilities and opportunities in the critical minerals sector
IPIS Briefing – Summer 2023 In the global race for energy transition minerals that are meant to help address the climate change crisis, Zimbabwe is one of the few African countries with important lithium reserves. If mining projects are managed transparently and with respect for property rights, human rights and openness to competitive investments, it can potentially lead to growth and devel
Reimagining Western engagement: New strategies for stability in the Sahel are underway
IPIS Briefing – June 2023 On 29 September 2022, IPIS organised a panel discussion on the implications of the Ukraine invasion for Russia-Africa relations. The discussion touched upon shifting power balances, the role of Russian mercenaries and the impact of the war in Ukraine on the African and global diamond industry. Nowhere are these evolutions better reflected than in the Sahel, a re
Critical minerals and the need for equal partnerships with African producers
Before Western policymakers recognized the immense strategic importance of minerals for green energy production in the 21st century, it was primarily seen as the main source of conflicts in Africa, especially when they were extracted in the African Great Lakes Region.
Why M23 is not your average rebel group
IPIS Briefing – January 2023 Ce briefing est également disponible en français The past year saw some major changes in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), which has been ravaged by armed groups for decades. One group in particular rose to the forefront, the Mouvement du 23 Mars (M23). The objectives of M23 are perched at the intersection of local, national and
Is the UN overstaying its welcome in the Democratic Republic of Congo?
IPIS Briefing October/November 2022 What is happening? Since July 2022 the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has seen a series of protests against MONUSCO, the UN peacekeeping mission deployed in the DRC. The protests took place in multiple cities in eastern DRC, which has recently seen an increase in armed group activity. The protestors voiced their anger towards the UN for being unable to prote
Urban mining and e-waste exports: overview and recent initiatives
IPIS Briefing September 2022 As economies are increasingly looking into alternatives to virgin mining of natural resources to secure their supply of critical raw materials, recycling and the aim of a circular economy are high on the political agenda. A case in point is the recent announcement of an EU Critical Raw Materials Act envisioning, among others, the enhanced recovery of rare earth element
Troubled waters in the Kasai. Pollution by the Angolan diamond industry and culpable negligence by the Congolese government
IPIS Briefing August 2022 – Late July 2021, local media first reported on the brownish-red discoloration of hundreds of kilometers of the Democratic Republic of Congo’s Tshikapa and Kasai rivers due to pollution from ‘industrial diamond mines’ in neighbouring Angola. About a year after the news reached the world press, hardly anything has been heard about the environmental disaster.
A fault confessed is half redressed: Glencore pleads guilty
IPIS Briefing – June 2022 On the 24th May 2022, the Justice Department of the United States announced that Glencore pleaded guilty for foreign briberies and Market Manipulation Schemes in violation of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and had accepted a USD 1.1 billion settlement. The same day, Glencore Energy UK Limited also made public that it would plead guilty in the invest
IPIS Briefing December 2021 – January 2022: Grievances, Governance and Gold in the eastern DRC
The IPIS briefing offers a selection of articles, news and updates on natural resources, armed conflict, Business & Human Rights and arms trade. Every month, an editorial and related publications shed a light on a specific topic in IPIS’ areas of research. In focus: Grievances, Governance and Gold in the eastern DRC. In the news: DRC: 51 people sentenced to death over 2017 murder of two UN ex
IPIS Briefing October – November 2021 – Are we ready for a just transition to a sustainable low-carbon world?
The IPIS briefing offers a selection of articles, news and updates on natural resources, armed conflict, Business & Human Rights and arms trade. Every month, an editorial and related publications shed a light on a specific topic in IPIS’ areas of research. In focus: Are we ready for a just transition to a sustainable low-carbon world? In the news: Congo Hold-up Dossier; Cobalt-rich Congo trie
IPIS Briefing September 2021 – Some thoughts on diamonds, brides and marketing lies
The IPIS briefing offers a selection of articles, news and updates on natural resources, armed conflict, Business & Human Rights and arms trade. Every month, an editorial and related publications shed a light on a specific topic in IPIS’ areas of research. In focus: Some Thoughts on Diamonds, Brides and Marketing Lies. In the news: U.N. Footage From Northern Ethiopia Shows Humanitarian Crisis
IPIS Briefing August 2021 – Cameroon’s diamond sector: small player, big challenges
The IPIS briefing offers a selection of articles, news and updates on natural resources, armed conflict, Business & Human Rights and arms trade. Every month, an editorial and related publications shed a light on a specific topic in IPIS’ areas of research. In focus: Cameroon’s diamond sector: small player, big challenges. In the news: Conflict diamonds may be virtually extinct in 2021, but yo
IPIS Briefing June/July 2021 – War on Terror in Eastern Congo? The fear of international observers
The IPIS briefing offers a selection of articles, news and updates on natural resources, armed conflict, Business & Human Rights and arms trade. Every month, an editorial and related publications shed a light on a specific topic in IPIS’ areas of research. In focus: War on Terror in Eastern Congo? The fear of international observers. In the news: Tensions rise over definition of conflict diam
IPIS Briefing May 2021 – Reducing the carbon footprint at the expense of a mineral footprint?
The IPIS briefing offers a selection of articles, news and updates on natural resources, armed conflict, Business & Human Rights and arms trade. Every month, an editorial and related publications shed a light on a specific topic in IPIS’ areas of research. In focus: Reducing the carbon footprint at the expense of a mineral footprint? In the news: Ethiopia Tigray crisis – Warnings of genocide
IPIS Briefing April 2021 – Congo’s Oil Saga: A story of shadowy deals, environmental burden, and civil society protest
The IPIS briefing offers a selection of articles, news and updates on natural resources, armed conflict, Business & Human Rights and arms trade. Every month, an editorial and related publications shed a light on a specific topic in IPIS’ areas of research. In focus: Congo’s Oil Saga: A story of shadowy deals, environmental burden, and civil society protest. In the news: In Tigray, Sexual Viol
IPIS Briefing March 2021 – Africa: armed violence and the illicit arms trade
The IPIS briefing offers a selection of articles, news and updates on natural resources, armed conflict, Business & Human Rights and arms trade. Every month, an editorial and related publications shed a light on a specific topic in IPIS’ areas of research. In focus: Africa – armed violence and the illicit arms trade In the news: Guards at Petra Diamonds’ Tanzanian Mine deliberately modified a
IPIS Briefing February 2021 – CAR: Former enemies unite to oust re-elected President
The IPIS briefing offers a selection of articles, news and updates on natural resources, armed conflict, Business & Human Rights and arms trade. Every month, an editorial and related publications shed a light on a specific topic in IPIS’ areas of research. In focus: CAR – Former enemies unite to oust re-elected President. In the news: L’ambassadeur d’Italie victime d’une paix introuvable dans
IPIS Briefing January 2021 – Armed groups challenging opportunities for responsible gold mining in Beni
The IPIS briefing offers a selection of articles, news and updates on natural resources, armed conflict, Business & Human Rights and arms trade. Every month, an editorial and related publications shed a light on a specific topic in IPIS’ areas of research. In focus: Armed groups challenging opportunities for responsible gold mining in Beni In the news: Dan Gertler échappe aux sanctions améric
IPIS Briefing December 2020 – Potential risks to a successful implementation of the EU Conflict Minerals Regulation
The IPIS briefing offers a selection of articles, news and updates on natural resources, armed conflict, Business & Human Rights and arms trade. Every month, an editorial and related publications shed a light on a specific topic in IPIS’ areas of research. In focus: Potential risks to a successful implementation of the EU Conflict Minerals Regulation. In the news: Ethnic profiling of Tigrayan
IPIS Briefing November 2020 – The diamond industry
The IPIS briefing offers a selection of articles, news and updates on natural resources, armed conflict, Business & Human Rights and arms trade. Every month, an editorial and related publications shed a light on a specific topic in IPIS’ areas of research. In focus: The diamond industry – ethics in the time of a pandemic In the news: Ethiopia-Tigray Conflict; WWF Admitted “Sorrow” Over Human
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