Dear Supporter,

How effective are sanctions in advancing national security and foreign policy objectives?

While this basic question has been debated by practitioners and academics, little attention has been paid to the impact of sanctions in sub-Saharan Africa. Our reporting finds that when used strategically and in combination with robust diplomatic efforts, sanctions can be a powerful tool in the international community’s arsenal to address a variety of threats, including armed conflict, corruption, and human rights abuses.

The Sentry’s new report, “Beyond Carrots, Better Sticks: Measuring and Improving the Effectiveness of Sanctions in Africa,” explains that sanctions imposed in support of policy goals in Africa have produced some successes, but are often poorly maintained and in many cases have historically not been expansive enough to make a sizable difference.

The report includes seven case studies in which The Sentry analyzed the development and implementation of strategies to affect a change in behavior by the targeted individuals or governments. It finds that sanctions can be an effective tool for combating problems such as conflict, corruption, and human rights violations, but their use in situations in sub-Saharan Africa have not been well conceived or implemented.

Today, there are 25 active sanctions programs in 11 African countries, and hundreds of individuals, entities, and companies are designated under these programs. Please click here to take a look at our report and find out which programs have been effective, how policymakers measure their success and what the effects have been on the ground.

Sincerely,

Ian Schwab
Director of Advocacy and Impact Strategy
Enough Project