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Welcome to Stellenbosch University

​​​​​​​​​Conf​erences & Worksho​​​ps

20​24​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

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Webinar

HOW DOES PARTICIPATION IN PEACE OPERATIONS SHAPE NATIONAL ARMED FORCES?

IS IT ALL BAD NEWS?​

The global strategic landscape required armed forces to become flexible in both a declaratory, as well as an operational sense. Nowhere is this more prevalent in the scope of and duration of their participation in peace operations on the African continent since the last decade of the 20th century. Taking on various missions under the UN, EU, AU and regional mandates, one can argue that for many armed forces their involvement in peace operations became their de facto operational reality.​ This reality does not leave national militaries unscathed. Can they absorb, adjust and seamlessly migrate between their primary and secondary roles with ease, or are there hidden dangers and vulnerabilities at play?

This webinar is directed by the above outlooks and brings together three speakers to offer insights from their research in three brief discussions to offer some findings.


Date: 28 November 2024                                                    Time: 13:30 – 15:30 (GMT+2)

Format: Webinar

Concept note here

TEAMS link here

Registration link here

Enquiries: Prof F. Vreÿ fvrey@sun.ac.za

Suggested reading here on Peacekeeping armies: how the politics of peace operations shape military organizations, Authors - Nina Wilén and Paul Williams. ​

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Round Table

BRIEFING TO THE DEFENCE OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE OF​ PARLIAMENT

​POLITICAL OVERSIGHT OF ARMED FORCES: STRENGTHENING DEFENCE OVERSIGHT IN SOUTH AFRICA'S SEVENTH DEMOCRATIC ADMINISTRATION

On 18 September 2024 a SIGLA organised panel from the Faculty of Military Science, Stellenbosch University  presented their research on matters related to political oversight to the defence oversight committee of South Africa's 7th democratic administration.

Defence oversight is a difficult sector given the standing the military holds in society and as a department holding control over the means of coercion that includes legitimate access to violence. While the defence establishment largely remains static and entrenched in its own culture, democratic politics imply regular changes in the political oversight of defence and thus the imperative to keep oversight committee members in step with their role. Experience, organisational learning and familiarity with defence is one grounding. Another pathway to knowledge is the role of academia to communicate research to policy-makers and so cooperate and support democracy-based defence oversight.

​​Date: 18 September 2024​

Venue: SA Parliament, Cape Town​

Concept note: Here

Presen​tations: Dr-Jordaan  Dr-Khanyile  Prof-Nel  Prof-Heinecken

Media statement: Here


Panel

​​RT 18 Sept24SAParliament.jpg

L to R: Dr E. Jordaan ; Prof M. Nel ; Prof H. Solomon ; Prof F. Vrey ; Prof MS. Tshehla

Virtual: Prof L. Heinecken ; Dr M. Khanyile​

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International Conference

THE GULF OF GUINEA AND THE RED S​EA AS A LEARNING CURVE FOR AFRICAN DECISION-MAKERS IN CAPACITY-BUILDING 

In person & Invitation only

Backdrop

In keeping with the Africa focus of the annual event, the 2024 iteration is p​lanned for 5th and 6th of September 2024 in Stellenbosch, South Africa. Included are panels to also bring into focus events off East Africa in the waters off Somalia and the Red Sea. With this, the partners envisage to address progress and initiatives in the Gulf of Guinea, the nature and impact of the sudden spate of armed attacks in the Red Sea that highlights the threat of armed non-state actors, state responses, and the opportunities for piracy and hijackings. Threats in the Gulf of Guinea remain dangerous and disruptive while events in both regions have spill-overs that also impact Southern African waters. A panel on Southern Africa covers security of the Cape Sea Route, maritime diplomacy and smuggling matters. A dedicated panel on capacity building completes the programme with a journal special edition planned to capture contributions. 

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Venue: Protea Hotel, Technopark S​tellenbosch Location

Dates: 5-6 September 2024

Enquiries: Francois Vreÿ Email  or Mikkel Andersen Email

Concept note: Here

Available  Bios: Here​​

Programme: Here​​​

Presentations 

Plenary 1  Jacobsen 

Plenary 2  Afua Lamptey​  ALamptey​  Asare​   Ere-Walson

Plenary 3 Blaine  Bruwer   Vrey

Communique Here

Plenary 4  Alexandre  ​Omiunu  Kariakidis  van As

See DefenceWeb article on the​ event here andhere

Dietary preferences: Here​​

Special Edition ​Note: Here​​

Conference organising team

Photos access link here


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Webinar

SOUTH AFRICA'S GROWING MILITARY FOOTPRINT IN REGIONAL AND DOMESTIC AFFAIRS: SOME EXPLANATIONS AND OVERSIGHT MATTERS

The webinar stems from an ongoing research project on military deployments in SADC and in South Africa jointly undertaken by SIGLA (Faculty of Military Science) and the Department of  Sociology and Social Anthropology of Stellenbosch University

The military is central to the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 16, which focuses, among others on the need to promote peaceful and inclusive societies, free from fear and all forms of violence. Countries, as well as the international community, have the responsibility to protect (R2P) their citizens from crimes against humanity and mass atrocities. In this regard, South Africa has deployed military contingents under the SADC banner to intervene in arm​ed conflicts in DR Congo (SAMIDRC) alongside the Force Intervention Brigade (FIB) assisting the UN, and in Mozambique (SAMIM) where a violent insurgency is leading to the loss of lives and a humanitarian crisis. Within the country, the South African National Defence Force is increasingly deployed in domestic operations, to mitigate domestic threats and vulnerabilities. To ensure that the military complies with the mandate afforded to it, meets its obligations, and does not overstep its boundaries, all deployments whether external or internal are subject to parliamentary or civil oversight. Oversight ensures that the military is subject to scrutiny, does not abuse its authority, and serves the interests of the societies they have been commissioned to protect. This webinar focuses on the connection between SDG16 and the importance of civilian oversight, especially within the context of the expanding domestic deployment of the military.

Programme director: Prof Michelle Nel (Stell Univ)​

Speakers:

​Prof Lindy Heinecken (Stell Univ): R2P, SDG 16 and the need for oversight Draft PP

Dr W. J. van Rensburg (RF SIGLA Stell Univ)​:  Political oversight over domestic operations with an input from Murmur Analytics Draft PP

Prof F. Vreÿ (Stell Univ) : Outlining the ​growth in domestic military deployments in South Africa Draft PP​​

Respondent: Dr Moses B. Khanyile Dir Cemis, Stellenbosch University

Closing: Prof Michelle Nel (Stell Univ)

Video: Forthcoming​ 30 June 2024 Here

Date: Thursday 27 June 2024​               Time: 13:30 - 15:00 (GMT+2)

Registrations Here​

Platform: (Pse type in your detai​l when entering) MSTEAMS Here​

Concept Note: Here

Enquiries: Prof F. Vreÿ  Email

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Webinar

Expeditionary Logistics and Southern African Operations: What Next for the South African Military?

14 February 2024

(10:00-16:00 GMT+2) 

​Lunch break 12:00-13:00

ABSTRACT

This seminar will focus on the topic of both strategic and operational logistics and its influence on future regional African deployments. The speakers will show that the South African military must pay close attention particularly to lessons learnt for logistics emerging from the Russo-Ukrainian war. In the case of South Africa a re-examination of current supply and replenishment systems may also be required, including an evaluation of the role and functionality of commercial logistic contracting solutions. Lastly, a current 'best practice' model of expeditionary logistics will be proposed with the intention of provoking debate in South African military logistic circles.

SPEAKERS

Ronald Ti (King's College London) : Logistic lessons from ​​Ukraine

Evert Jordaan & Abel Esterhuyse (Stellenbosch University) : South African operational logistics

Roy Marais (RCM​ Strategic Sustainment Consulting) : A bottom-up view of logistics in the SA military

Eeben Barlow (Executive Outcomes) : Learning from the private military domain

Thomas Dur​ell-Young (US Naval Postgraduate School) ​: Why defence planning doesn't '​work'

Speaker Bios Here

Abstracts Here

Programme: Here​​

Presentations:   Ron Ti - ​  A Esterhuyse & E Jordaan  - Eeben Barlow -  Roy Marais -​  Thomas Young

Registration Link (opens 3 Jan 24): Here

MS TEAMS link: Here​​​

SIGLA Brief on expeditionary logistics: Here

Webinar video: Here

Enquiries: ​

Prof Abel Esterhuyse: Email 

Prof Francois Vreÿ:​ Email

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