Border Governance Approaches to Countering Transnational Organized Crime

Academic Webinar Series

Ongoing through 2022–2023

 English | Français | Português

The African Union Strategy for a Better Integrated Border Governance (2020) has significant implications for countering and preventing transnational organized crime. In particular, it raises questions about the possible transformation of often military-heavy border security approaches into multi-sectoral and people-centered border governance initiatives to address these issues. Border spaces can be strategic areas for criminal networks involved in activities like natural resource crimes, human smuggling and trafficking, and cattle rustling to exploit. They are also places where state and societal actors can collectively address security challenges arising from illicit economies. The cross-national social networks that shape political and economic life in border spaces also have potential to foster resilience to the drivers and harms of transnational organized crime.

This webinar series will provide analysis of border security and governance challenges that African governments are facing across the continent in multiple criminal markets. It will also provide insight into the multi-sectoral responses that security sector leaders are part of mounting to build community resilience to such challenges. Overall, the webinars will seek to explore how the security sector fits into integrated border management approaches that engage border communities and local officials in addressing the drivers of transnational organized crime.

Session 1  |  Thursday, January 20, 2022

Natural Resource Crimes and Border Governance in Africa

Session Objectives:

  • Understand the key actors involved in natural resource crimes, their incentives, and the ways they make use of border spaces.
  • Explore the ways that natural resource crimes affect and involve border communities, and how a range of national and local officials, as well as non-state actors in those communities, have responded to these crimes.
  • Discuss the ways that security sector actors can use border governance frameworks and approaches to address natural resource crimes on the national and local levels.

Panelists:

  1. Dr. Oluwole Ojewale
    ENACT Regional Organized Crime Observatory Coordinator for Central Africa, Institute for Security Studies-Africa
  1. Dr. Ifesinachi Okafor-Yarwood
    Lecturer, University of St. Andrews
  1. Brigadier General (ret.) Gaseikanngwe Ace Peke
    (Independent Consultant)

Moderator:

Dr. Catherine Lena Kelly
(Associate Dean of Academic Affairs and Professor of Justice and Rule of Law, Africa Center for Strategic Studies)

Session 2  |  Thursday, June 23, 2022

Cattle Rustling and Border Governance in East Africa and the Horn

Session Objectives:

  • Understand the magnitude, trends, and impacts of cattle rustling, including the ways that cattle rustling and livestock theft affect different members of border and pastoralist communities.
  • Assess the security sector’s contributions to past responses to aspects of cattle rustling involving professionalized violence and organized crime, reviewing the current level of implementation of the revised Mifugo Protocol and the AU Strategy for Better Integrated Border Governance.
  • Discuss the ways that security sector actors can use border governance frameworks and approaches to address cattle rustling in ways that enhance citizen security in communities with pastoralist traditions.

Panelists:

  1. Dr. Kennedy Mkutu Agade
    Professor of International Relations, Security Studies, and Peace Studies, US International University-Africa
  1. Martin Ewi
    Technical Coordinator of ENACT Project, Institute for Security Studies-Africa

Moderator:

Dr. Catherine Lena Kelly
Associate Dean of Academic Affairs and Professor of Justice and Rule of Law, Africa Center for Strategic Studies

Session 3  |  Tuesday, September 27, 2022

Human Smuggling, Human Trafficking and Border Governance in Africa

Session Objectives:

  • Understand the key actors involved in human smuggling and human trafficking, and place their activities into local political and economic contexts.
  • Explore the ways that human smuggling and human trafficking affect and involve different members of border communities, both in terms of the harms that certain people experience, as well as the benefits that certain people may reap by being proximate to these two types of criminal markets.
  • Discuss the ways that security sector actors can use border governance frameworks and approaches to address human smuggling and human trafficking, both for the benefit of border communities and for that of the people being smuggled or trafficked.

Panelists:

  1. Ms. Maureen Achieng
    Former IOM Representative to the African Union, IGAD and UNECA Chief of Mission
  1. Dr. Aly Tandian
    Professor at Gaston Berger University and Head of the Senegalese Migration Observatory

Moderator:

Dr. Catherine Lena Kelly
Associate Dean of Academic Affairs and Professor of Justice and Rule of Law, Africa Center for Strategic Studies

Session 4  |  Thursday, January 12, 2023

Arms Trafficking and Border Governance Responses to Countering It

Session Objectives:

  • Understand the key actors involved in arms trafficking and place their activities into local political and economic contexts.
  • Explore the ways that arms trafficking affects and involves different members of border communities, both in terms of harm to civilian populations, as well as the benefits that certain people may reap by being proximate to this criminal market.
  • Discuss the ways that security sector actors can use border governance frameworks and approaches to mitigate harm to civilian populations while addressing arms trafficking.

Panelists:

  1. Dr. Mutoy Mubiala
    Associate Professor of International Human Rights Law, University of Kinshasa (DRC) and Vice-President of the African Academy for International Law Practice
  1. Captain Dean Gillespie
    Director, Krino International Consultancy Group

Moderator:

Dr. Catherine Lena Kelly
Associate Dean of Academic Affairs and Associate Professor of Justice and Rule of Law, Africa Center for Strategic Studies

Session 5  |  Thursday, March 16, 2023

Drug Trafficking and Border Governance Responses to Countering It

Session Objectives:

  • Understand the key actors involved in drugs trafficking and place their activities into local political and economic contexts.
  • Explore the ways that drug trafficking affects and involves different members of border communities, both in terms of the harms that certain people experience, as well as the benefits that certain people may reap by being proximate to this criminal market.
  • Discuss the ways that security sector actors can use border governance frameworks and approaches to insecurity to address drug trafficking.

Panelists:

  1. Mr. John Pokoo
    Head of Conflict Management Programme, Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC)
  1. Dr. John Ndugutse
    Director, East African Police Chiefs Coordination Organization (EAPCCO) Counterterrorism Center of Excellence

Moderator:

Dr. Catherine Lena Kelly
(Associate Dean of Academic Affairs and Associate Professor of Justice and Rule of Law, Africa Center for Strategic Studies)

English | Français | Português

Session 6  | Thursday, May 25, 2023

The Role of the Security Sector in Advancing Better Integrated Border Governance in Africa

Session Objectives:

  • Understand complex nature of citizen security in Africa’s borderlands regions and the challenges associated with developing effective state security sector responses to respond to cross-border threats.
  • Discuss the ways that security sector actors can use AU border governance frameworks and approaches to address insecurity in border regions.
  • Explore how African security sector leaders from neighboring countries can work with one another to develop collaborative strategies to border insecurity.

Panelists:

  1. Col (ret.) Abdoul Ndiaye
    Former Chief of Staff to the National Security Advisor of Senegal
  1. Dr. Wafula Okumu
    Executive Director, The Borders Institute

Moderator:

Dr. Catherine Lena Kelly
Associate Dean of Academic Affairs and Associate Professor of Justice and Rule of Law, Africa Center for Strategic Studies