The Resource Governance and Conflict Programme (RGC) is designed to monitor the impact of resource exploitation on security and democracy in Africa. The programme’s main focus is how social inequalities, historical injustices, grievances and competition involving ethnic, racial, generational, gender and religious groups over critical resources like land within the broader context of poverty, debt over-hang, poor governance, elite fragmentation and corruption of the power elite and the knock-on effects of climate change and global recession are contributing to the stability of African states, fragility of the democracies and violent conflicts.  It also highlights the implications of the new scramble for Africa’s resources especially mineral and energy resource by external actors such as European powers and emerging economic powers such as India, Brazil, South Africa and China on security and democracy.  Also central to its focus are the policy frameworks adopted at the national, sub-regional, regional and international levels to mitigate the negative impact of resource exploitation on security and democracy in Africa.

The Programme’s key aims are to: 

• Undertake policy research and analysis on resources to underpin the policies of African governments, regional economic communities, the African Union and Africa’s external partners. 
• Create knowledge platforms to stimulate debate on the best ways of ensuring that exploitation of resources does not imperil democracy, the rule of law and the justice for the poor and disadvantaged groups like women, youth and the disable.
• Support networks of civil society stakeholders (including the media) working to promote equitable and just distribution of resources to avoid conflict.

The main project under this programme is Ethnicity, land and conflict project is focusing on Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and Rwanda and comparative cases of South Africa, Zimbabwe and Cote d’Ivoire. The programme is also focusing on the impact of the 21^st Century Scramble for Africa, especially the competition for mineral and energy resources by the west and emerging powers such as China and India on democracy and security in Africa.   Current projects under this programme include:

• Ethnicity, Land and Conflict in Eastern Africa: This two-year partnership is a partnership between the Africa Policy Institute, the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), the World Vision International involving researchers across Africa.
• The New Scramble for Africa and Global Recession: This project focuses on the implications of the current rush for Africa’s mineral and energy resources on Africa’s democracy and political stability.