International Conference
THE GULF OF GUINEA AND THE RED SEA 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 planned 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 Stellenbosch 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
Plenary 4 Alexandre Omiunu Kariakidis van As
See DefenceWeb article on the event here and here
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 armed 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 detail 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 Durell-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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