Research reports, policy briefs and journal articles for the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime, ENACT, TRAFFIC and others.
Analysis
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Latest report · Research report · Global Initiative · October 2026
Ballots and Bullets: targeted killings and South Africa’s 2026 local government elections
At least 43 people were killed in suspected political assassinations in the first nine months of 2026, ahead of South Africa’s local government elections in November.
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Springer · 2025
The Impact of Poaching on Rhino Conservation
Two global waves of rhino poaching, from the 1970s to the mid-1990s and again from the early 2000s, and what they mean for rhino conservation. From Rhinos of the World.
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Global Initiative · 2023
The Grey Zone: Russia’s military, mercenary and criminal engagement in Africa
How Russian state, mercenary and criminal interests overlap on the continent.
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ENACT · 2023
Landscape of Fear: crime, corruption and murder in greater Kruger
How organised crime, corruption and violence have taken hold in the communities bordering the Kruger National Park.
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Global Initiative · 2022
Insurgency, Illicit Markets and Corruption: the Cabo Delgado conflict and its regional implications
The insurgency in northern Mozambique and the illicit economies that sustain it.
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TRAFFIC · 2018
Empty Shells: an assessment of abalone poaching and trade from southern Africa
At least 96 million South African abalone poached in 18 years, as organised syndicates drove the species towards collapse.
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TRAFFIC · 2017
Pendants, Powder and Pathways: smuggling routes and techniques in the illicit trade in African rhino horn
How syndicates in South Africa began processing rhino horn into beads, bracelets and powder before smuggling it to Asia.
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Global Initiative · 2017
Diplomats and Deceit: North Korea’s criminal activities in Africa
How North Korean diplomats and embassies in Africa have been linked to the smuggling of rhino horn, ivory, cigarettes and minerals.
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Global Initiative · 2016
Tipping Point: transnational organised crime and the “war” on poaching
The criminal networks behind the rhino horn trade, and the limits of a response aimed at the poaching frontline.