Research
Local Content in Latin American and African Oil and Gas Sector: A Comparative Analysis of Selected Countries
The implementation of local content policies among developing resource rich countries has experienced mixed results. While some countries have achieved positive outcomes, others have not fared very well and therefore the question of why some countries are more successful than others during the implementation of local content policies has not been conclusively addressed. Using a two-stage comparative analysis, this article studies the factors that account for successful local content outcomes in African and Latin America countries. The analysis shows that countries with specific local content frameworks that prioritised the development of their national industries are more likely to achieve positive outcomes in terms of employment creation, skills development and the participation of their national industry along the oil and gas value chain. The analysis further shows that National Oil Companies and enterprise centres have played a key role for the achievement of positive local content outcomes
Role of Non State Actors (Political Movements, Militias, Civil Society) in Shaping Regional Security in Africa
This article unravels the role of non-state actors in regional security in the great lakes region of Africa. The analysis identifies what motivates non-state actors into action particularly, the desire to access scarce resources, the geopolitical environment; and their legitimate right to participate in governance to transform society. Using case studies, the paper cites concrete examples from political movements, militias, and civil society to understand why non-state actors can shape regional security positively or negatively. The paper concludes that what is important is to identify those non-state actors that have interest in peace and stability for networking and collaboration while at the same time engage positively or respond appropriately to those non-state actors that have negative attitude towards peace and security. This is possible through practising democratic governance and developing military and other security capabilities to deal with negative actors
