The referendum vote on self-determination held this month in Southern Sudan marks an important step toward political stability and development in a country historically marred by war and confrontation between the north and the south. The fourth edition of the Security Sector Reform Monitor: Southern Sudan discusses the tensions that existed among various factions before the April 2010 election and considers the potential for violence during and after the January referendum. This Monitor answers questions regarding the future of the Sudan People’s Liberation Army/Movement, examines possible new political alliances between the north and Southern Sudan, and considers the possibility for ethnic violence against Southern Sudanese living in the north if the south secedes.

"The Future of Security Sector Reform" e-conference took place on May 4-8, 2009. CIGI and Governance Village organized the event. This e-Conference report outlines some of the urgent challenges that must be addressed for the SSR model to bridge the policy-practice divide and realize its core aims.

By the fall of 2008, seven years after the fall of the Taliban regime, the future of Afghanistan's post-conflict transition looks more uncertain than ever. Driving this uncertainty is a security environment that has steadily deteriorated with each passing year, creating a level of instability even greater than in Iraq, according to some indicators. However, insecurity is not the only dilemma that has threatened to undercut Afghanistan's transition to peace and stability. Problems of corruption and poor service delivery in the state coupled with the failure of the internationally supported reconstruction process to improve the quality of life for so many Afghans trapped in grinding poverty has begun to erode public confidence in the new political order.