As the global landscape changes - politically and economically - so governments need to reassess the threats of violence both within and outside their borders. The South African defence force is reviewing the likely future threat environment and this title is the result - an aid to thought and understanding in preparing for a future in which insurgencies and other irregular threats loom large. The title outlines key concepts and theoretical constructs relevant to understanding counterinsurgency; assesses the history and current state of South Africa's counterinsurgency capabilities, extracts key lessons from recent relevant case studies, such as MONUC in the DRC, counterinsurgency and peacekeeping in Sierra Leone as well as Northern Uganda, private security contractors in Nigeria, and the failures of cultural intelligence in Burundi.