Although key continental and regional institutions have their own early warning reporting systems, policy making within these institutions also benefit from a number of analytical and periodic reports generated by think tanks and research institutes. The forthcoming Peace and Security Reports Unit at IPSS will regularly provide brief and critical analyses of the state of peace and security in different African countries as well as critical appraisals of interventions by various African actors. The reports will cover African countries showing positive signs as well as those undergoing negative developments. The Unit will comprise the following sub-components, each serving distinct but interlinked purposes:

• The APSA Impact Analysis will evaluate the aggregate impact and effectiveness of interventions by the AU and the RECs using various APSA tools and instruments such as CEWS, PSOs, diplomatic interventions and mediation initiatives.

• Country Profiles and Situation Analyses will periodically analyse peace and security issues of selected African countries based on secondary sources, the database from the APSA Impact Analysis as well as other additional sources.

• The State of Peace and Security in Africa (SPSA) will be compiled using analytical inputs, datasets and fact sheets from the APSA Impact Analysis and Country Profiles. The report will be launched on the eve of the annual Tana High-Level Forum on Security in Africa.