On 25th October, KYC 360 carried an article saying that a new report from advocacy group, The Sentry, said that sanctions programmes levied on some Sub-Saharan African countries could be made more effective by targeting specific networks rather than comprehensive sanctions against an entire country. The report evaluates the effectiveness of sanctions programmes currently or previously placed by the US, EU and UN on 7 African countries, including DRC, Liberia, South Sudan, Sudan, Zimbabwe, Burundi and the Central African Republic. The group interviewed dozens of current and former officials from the US, the EU and UN who worked on the sanctions programmes, asking about the goals and their views on the effectiveness of the programmes.
The report, Beyond Carrots, Better Sticks: Measuring and Improving the Effectiveness of Sanctions in Africa, concludes with a set of recommendations for how to improve the impact of sanctions, from the design of a programme to implementation and enforcement. With some improvement on strategy development, communication, and enforcement, and when combined with other foreign policy tools such as diplomacy, humanitarian aid, and technical assistance, sanctions could be far more effective in Africa.
This blog is primarily for my own use, to keep informed and up to date. However, if you would like to say thank you (and perhaps help me get a new, better laptop when I am away…) you can “buy me a coffee” at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/KoIvM842y