The December 2014 SIPRI Update is out now—read it online or subscribe to receive the SIPRI Update in your inbox each month.
In this issue we present an essay by Elisabeth Sköns on external engagement in African security. She writes:
Many African countries depend, to a significant extent, on the economic, development and security-related activities of external actors. The life-saving impact of externally supported peace operations is perhaps the most obvious example. However, external engagement also presents challenges to African security efforts. In order for African countries to best benefit from external activities, they need locally grounded security policies and a firm strategy for incorporating external support. Civil society now has an opportunity to play a major role in shaping these policies.
Read the essay online or browse the full list of SIPRI Essays from 2009 to 2014.