Koen Vlassenroot
Koen Vlassenroot investigates armed groups and civil wars and has carried out extensive fieldwork in eastern DR Congo, Uganda, Rwanda and the Philippines. His major contribution to the field of conflict research is to understand the social embeddedness of rural armed groups, the mobility of combatants, public authority and non-state forms of governance in conflict zones, and the social transformations induced by long-term violence. He has published numerous peer–reviewed articles and book chapters, has been Co-Principal Investigator of several five-year international research consortia, has directed large international research grants, and has conducted research and consulting activities for international donor agencies and non-governmental organizations. At UGent, he is the director of the Conflict Research Group and of the Governance in Conflict International Thematic Network.
Opinion Piece: How the world keeps failing eastern DRC
Old ‘peace-building’ schemes are obsolete in a country that is seeing new and ever-changing political and conflict dynamics.
New article: Rural Radicalisms and the Politics of Order: Authority, Precarity, and Globality in Africa
This special issue traces new forms and practices of rural radicalism.
New Book Chapter Publication: “Democratic Republic of the Congo” in Africa Yearbook Vol. 20
Two dynamics dominated the political and social context in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. One was the electoral process, and the second dynamic was the further intensification of the conflict with the Rwandan-backed M23 in North Kivu Province.
EVENT: Conflict Cafe: Shifting Security Landscape in the Sahel
July 3 (Wed) 6PM. (Please click TO REGISTER ) This café will discuss pertinent issues on the shifting security landscapes in the Sahel.
New Publication: Elections are not an end in itself Reflecting on the challenges facing Félix Tshisekedi’s second term
Published by Governance in Conflict Network.
Conference: “neglected crisis, not forgotten’: Democratic Republic of Congo
Conference in collaboration with MSF on the humanitarian situation in Eastern DRC.
New Publication: Collaborative research
This contribution to the virtual encyclopedia on postcolonial hierarchies in peace and conflict provides perspectives on North–South collaborative conflict research.
New Publication: Collaborative Research: Perspectives on North–South Collaborative Conflict Research: A Conversation between Two Research Partners
This contribution is a dialogue between two Conflict Studies academics, who have both invested in close research collaboration.
Book Launch: Nasser Road: Political posters in Uganda by Kristof Titeca
In this book talk on 6 February (11:30am), Kristof Titeca will discuss his book on political posters in Uganda with Koen Vlassenroot.
New Publication: The Congolese Elections and International Observers
As Congo prepares for elections, international observers express concerns over the electoral process. However, a closer look reveals a shift in dynamics, with the absence of external control and funding for the first time in the country's history.
Current research projects:
Promotion of Peace and Stability in Eastern DRC (Pro Paix II)
This project seeks to inform policy about security conditions and opportunities for programming through independent, regular and field-driven analysis in areas and topics of concern in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
Insecure Livelihoods Series
If we can draw one overarching policy implication from the Congo wars, it is the growing disconnect between the existing international conflict response toolkit and the complexity of violent conflict on the ground.
Centre for Public Authority and International Development (CPAID)
CRG is a key member of the Centre for Public Authority and International Development (CPAID), which conducts interdisciplinary research to strengthen knowledge about how the governance of societies in impoverished, marginal and/or conflict-affected places actually functions.
Research Projects under Supervision:
The Social Anthropology of Security Practices in areas affected by recurring conflicts in the Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (Uvira, Fizi, Mwenga, and Djugu territories)
The jihadi phenomenon in the Lake Chad Basin
The Political Ecology of Conservation Conflicts
Analyzing conflict mobilities from Uganda’s Nakivale Refugee Settlement
The Spectre of Political Induced Mobility in Kenya
What does peace have to do with it? Examining the creation and operationalisation of peace arrangements and their actors in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo
Violent collective actions and the ‘democratic transition’ in Ethiopia
An imaginary Jihad? How knowledge construction on conflict zones generates transformation