CALL FOR PAPERS FOR SPECIAL ISSUE: ARMED ARCHIVES Studying Archives of non-state Armed Actors: Methodological challenges and new research avenuesIf you are interested in contributing to this special issue, please send a 500-word abstract and short bio to Eva Willems (eva.willems@ugent.be) and Bert Suykens (bert.suykens@ugent.be) by December 1st. by Bert Suykensby Eva Willems SPEAKING ENGAGEMENT: Maria Martin de Almagro Iniesta on “Climate Change is Sexist” Advocacy EventWomen are underrepresented in climate discussions and negotiations, despite being significantly affected by the effects of climate change. Let’s come together to raise awareness and drive change! by Maria Martin de Almagro Iniesta EVENT: Negotiating Gender in Fragile and Conflict- Affected SettingsResilience and Fragility in Action ( REFRACT) project. The café brings together leading experts to explore critical issues at the intersection of gender, security, and peacebuilding in some of the most challenging fragile and conflict-affected regions by Maria Martin de Almagro Iniesta Opinion Piece: How the world keeps failing eastern DRCOld ‘peace-building’ schemes are obsolete in a country that is seeing new and ever-changing political and conflict dynamics. by Koen Vlassenrootby Christoph Vogel New Report: Pursuing an integrated approach to TJ and DDR in the Democratic Republic of the CongoThe DR Congo has a long history of engagement in both disarmamement, demobilization and reintegrationand ( DDR) and Transitiona Justice (TJ) processes in an effort to resolve the armed conflicts and combat impunity for human rights violations but, until recently, little effort was made to build bridges between both. by Gunnar Research Presentation: Conflict-induced urban transformations“This event will bring together urban planners, policymakers, and practitioners from around the globe to exchange ideas and showcase innovative approaches to urban development. by Karen Büscher Publication: Can some sort of Donbas and Transnistria separatism happen in Kazakhstan?A look at (potential) enhancers and impediments. by Bruno De Cordier CRG Book Launches: The Natural Border: Bounding Migrant Farmwork in the Black Mediterranean.The Natural Border tells the recent history of Mediterranean rural capitalism from the perspective of marginalized Black African farm workers. by Jeroen Adam New Publication: River Sand Commodity Chains in Ethiopia: Governance, Stakeholders, and Socio-Ecological Implications The report explores the stakeholders involved, governance structures, and socio- ecological impacts of sand mining in the Alage and Sankura districts of Ethiopia. by Bert Suykensby Siyum Adugna Mamo PhD Defence: The logics of camp historicity in Uganda’s Nakivale refugee settlementColoniality, Sanctuary, and 'the national order of things'. by Jolien Tegenbos New article: Conflits à l’Est du Congo, repenser la centralité des mineraisRethinking the centrality of minerals for conflicts in the DRC, this article is part of a special issue in Alternatives Sud on the reproduction of predations in Congo. by Josaphat Musamba New article: Rural Radicalism and the Tactic of Third-Party LeverageHow Acholi Peasants Drew a UN Agency into Their Struggle against Land-Grabbing by the Ugandan State by Sara Weschler New article: Rural Radicalisms and the Politics of Order: Authority, Precarity, and Globality in AfricaThis special issue traces new forms and practices of rural radicalism. by Koen Vlassenroot New Book Chapter Publication: “Democratic Republic of the Congo” in Africa Yearbook Vol. 20Two 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. by Koen Vlassenrootby Josaphat Musamba Book Launches 12: Farianas’ Post-Armed Struggle Feminist Militancy by Priscyll Anctil Avoine María Martín de Almagro will join Priscyll Anctil Avoine to discuss the politics and lives of the farianas—the former women guerrillas of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia – People’s Army (FARC-EP by Maria Martin de Almagro Iniesta Book Launch: Geopolitics of Green Colonialism: Global Justice and Ecosocial Transitions with Mary Ann ManahanA conversation with editor/author Mary Ann Manahan ( CRG), Tomas Van Acker ( CRG) and Eva Vandenberghe. by Mary Ann Manahan New Policy Brief: Gender and Disarmament, Demobilization, Reintegration (DDR) Programmes in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Reflections for the P-DDRCSPublished by Governance in Conflict Network. by Maria Martin de Almagro Iniestaby Natalie Domaas BOOK REVIEW by Christoph VogelDisrupted Development in the Congo: The Fragile Foundations of the African Mining Consensus. Author: Ben Radley Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2023, 224 pp., ISBN: 9780192849052 (hardback); ISBN: 9780191944321 (e-book) by Christoph Vogel Feature:Research on local communities’ resilience when climate change sparks conflict" International organizations such as the UN, EU, and OECD have highlighted the intensified connection between environmental change and conflict. Rapid environmental changes have severe consequences for countries at war or in post-conflict phases" by Maria Martin de Almagro Iniesta New Publication: Fragile Victory: Can Bangladesh’s Interim Government Avoid the Pitfalls of the Past?Bangladesh's interim government faces tough challenges in restoring democracy amid the fallout from Sheikh Hasina's regime collapse and the delicate balance of power. by Julian Kuttig New Publication: The Battle for Bangladesh: Students Lead the Charge Against AutocracyBangladesh is witnessing a renewed wave of student-led protests, pushing the Awami League government to the brink of collapse. by Julian Kuttig Proceedings: Advancing Alternative Regionalism From Below – People and Planet First | ProceedingsDebates and discussions on alternative regionalism from below with special focus on Southeast Asia. by Mary Ann Manahan New Publication: Xerox soldiers, YouTube commanders and Twitter brigades: information warfare in eastern CongoThe article argues that information warfare amplifies with the advent of social media. by Christoph Vogelby Josaphat Musamba New Publication: Fertile Soil? Rural Young Men’s Navigation of Changing Environments and the Potential Expansion of Jihadi Actors in Sikasso, Mali This article proposes the framework of social navigation to make sense of the diverse trajectories of rural male youth. by Marte Beldé New Publication: ( in French) Administration de « la brousse » et prémices des conflits armés au Burkina Faso : le cas des groupes Koglweogo This article describes the ordinary violence that plagued rural Burkina Faso. by Tanguy Quidelleur New Publication: A Multilingual Collection of Facebook Comments on the Moro Identity and Armed Conflict in the Southern PhilippinesThis dataset is a collection of 12,478 social media comments related to the Moro identity and armed conflict in the southern Philippines. by Frances Cruz New Publication: unmasking green colonialism behind the ’decarbonization consensus’Green colonialism has emerged as a defining feature of contemporary capitalism, particularly within the context of decarbonization efforts. by Mary Ann Manahan EVENT: Conflict Cafe: Shifting Security Landscape in the SahelJuly 3 (Wed) 6PM. (Please click TO REGISTER ) This café will discuss pertinent issues on the shifting security landscapes in the Sahel. by Koen Vlassenroot New Publication: Discussion Paper: Philippine Identities and Digital Humanities in the Age of Machines, Social Media and Artificial IntelligenceBy adopting digital tools, the digital humanities brings transformative change in humanities research and teaching. by Frances Cruz SUBMISSION DEADLINE EXTENDED! Call for participants: Summerschool on fieldwork in violent environmentsThe submission deadline for the Summer School on Fieldwork in Violent Environments has been extended to June 15. Don't miss this opportunity to apply! by Maarten Hendriks New Publication: The coloniality of power in Uganda’s Nakivale Refugee SettlementThis paper addresses the complexity of studying the coloniality of humanitarianism and present-day relationships of power and authority in refugee settings. by Jolien Tegenbos New Publication: Understanding Myanmar’s Pro-democracy MovementThe third anniversary of the coup by the junta was recently marked in Myanmar. The democracy movement has come a long way and has transitioned into a new phase. by Roshni Kapur New Publication: Transitional justice interventions in Sri Lanka: why do they keep failing?How can a country meaningfully commit to transitional justice interventions when ethnocracy and majoritarianism remain deeply entrenched in its political, legal and constitutional structures? by Roshni Kapur Workshop: The political economy and governance of river sand commodity chains in EthiopiaThe workshop highlighted the governance of river sand commodity chains in Ethiopia to reduce the socio-ecological implications of sand extraction and ensure sustainability. by Siyum Adugna Mamoby Bert Suykens CRG Book Launch: The Taliban Courts in Afghanistan – Waging War by Law by Adam BaczkoThe book explores how the Taliban used the law as a resource in its conflict with militarily and technologically superior Western armies. While the international coalition set up an inadequate and corrupt legal system, the Taliban set up hundreds of courts in the countryside. By insisting on due process, impartiality of judges, and the enforcement of verdicts, this system of justice established itself as one of the few sources of predictability in the daily lives of Afghans.” by Bruno De Cordier New Publication: Elections are not an end in itself Reflecting on the challenges facing Félix Tshisekedi’s second termPublished by Governance in Conflict Network. by Koen Vlassenroot New Publication: Mujib’s Two Bodies: Memorial Populism in BangladeshChapter is published in the edited volume Claiming the People's Past: Populist Politics of History in the Twenty-First Century, by Julian Kuttigby Bert Suykens New Publication: Wellbeing and collective grievances among farmersThe case of Flanders, Belgium by Jeroen Adam Lecture: ‘A fluid that sticks: notes on oil production in Kazakhstan’On May 21, 2024 (TUE) Maurizio Totaro will discuss the social, political and environmental effects of hydrocarbon extraction in the western regions of Kazakhstan, where most of the oil and gas fields are located. by Bruno De Cordier Lecture: Histor(iograph)y: an ideological-identitarian frontline? Gulag commemoration and nation-building in KazakhstanOn May 7, 2024. Although the Soviet Union’s Gulag system is popularly mostly associated with Siberia, some of its major branches, like Karlag and Steplag, were situated and operating (1930-1959) in what is now Kazakhstan. by Bruno De Cordier SUBMISSION DEADLINE EXTENDED! Call for participants: Summerschool on fieldwork in violent environmentsThe submission deadline for the Summer School on Fieldwork in Violent Environments has been extended to June 15. Don't miss this opportunity to apply! by Maarten Hendriks Book Launch: Performing Sovereign Aspirations with Bart KlemIt adopts a performative perspective to understand the institutional landscape around the Tamil separatist conflict during and after the Sri Lanka civil war. by Bert Suykens New Publication: Conflit, Coltan, Cliché?French edition of Christoph Vogel's book on conflict minerals and white saviourism out soon with Goma-based Editions Mlimani. by Christoph Vogel Roundtable: Gentse Gronden’-sessie: Grond is LandbouwJeroen Adam moderates a roundtable on city of Ghent-owned land and farming. by Jeroen Adam Public Lecture: Histor(iograph)y: an ideological-identitarian frontline?Discussing Gulag commemoration and nation-building in Kazakhstan together with Aimar Ventsel and Bruno De Cordier. by Bruno De Cordier New Publication: Singing truth to powerTransformative (gender) justice, musical spatialities and creative performance in periods of transition from violence by Maria Martin de Almagro Iniesta New Report: Climate Change and Conflict in the Ruzizi Plain (DRC)The report discusses the way in which climate change effects play out locally in South Kivu’s Ruzizi Plain, and how they interact with, add to, or alter existing conflict dynamics in this territory. by Tomas Van Acker Seminar: Women, Peace and SecurityDiscussion the important role of women in conflict situations and the need for inclusive approaches to avoid or resolve conflicts. by Maria Martin de Almagro Iniesta New Publication: “The Eyes of All Acholiland Were Turned Towards This Hill”CRG's Sara Weschler, along with Arthur Owor from the Centre for African Research, shared the historical narratives of the Lamogi Rebellion from the British colonial report archive to the Acholi community in an educational book. by Sara Weschler Roundtable: Understanding ongoing conflict in North KivuA Conversation on Forgotten Struggles, Challenges and Prospects by Christoph Vogel Conference: “neglected crisis, not forgotten’: Democratic Republic of CongoConference in collaboration with MSF on the humanitarian situation in Eastern DRC. by Koen Vlassenroot New Publication: Collaborative researchThis contribution to the virtual encyclopedia on postcolonial hierarchies in peace and conflict provides perspectives on North–South collaborative conflict research. by Koen Vlassenroot New media contribution: Retrait de la Monusco de RDCInterview for rfi on the gradual withdrawal of the United Nations Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Monusco. by Christoph Vogel Book Launch: Good soldiers don’t rape with Megan MackenzieThis book uses feminist theories of ‘rape culture’ and institutional gaslighting to identify myths, and misconceptions about military sexual violence. by Maria Martin de Almagro Iniesta Call for Papers: Armed archivesThis workshop aims to provide a space for discussion among scholars who study archives of non-state armed actors in order to contribute to the ongoing wider debate on the ‘archival turn’ in conflict studies. by Bert Suykens New media contribution: L’accord UE-Rwanda: Regards croisés sur les enjeux régionaux et internationauxInterview for Actualite.cd on the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between the European Union and Rwanda on sustainable value chains for raw materials. by Christoph Vogel New Publication: Sustaining gender: Natural resource management, conflict prevention, and the UN Sustaining Peace agenda in times of climate catastropheThis article explores how decentralisation policy and specifically the establishment of communes rurales in DR Congo turned into a profoundly destabilising juncture, shaking existing governance arrangements by Maria Martin de Almagro Iniesta PhD Defence: Anatomy of the jihadi phenomenon in CameroonOn 2 February Hans De Marie Heungoup will defend his PhD on the Jihadi phenomenon in Cameroon. by Hans De Marie Heungoup New media contribution: Waarom voeren landbouwers actie?Interview for Radio 1 'De Wereld Vadaag" on farmer's protests in Belgium. by Jeroen Adam New Publication: Collaborative Research: Perspectives on North–South Collaborative Conflict Research: A Conversation between Two Research PartnersThis contribution is a dialogue between two Conflict Studies academics, who have both invested in close research collaboration. by Koen Vlassenroot New Publication: Contested ‘commune rurales’: Decentralisation and the (violent) struggle for public authority in the Democratic Republic of CongoThis article explores how decentralisation policy and specifically the establishment of communes rurales in DR Congo turned into a profoundly destabilising juncture, shaking existing governance arrangements by Karen Büscherby Jeroen Cuvelier Book Launch: Nasser Road: Political posters in Uganda by Kristof TitecaIn this book talk on 6 February (11:30am), Kristof Titeca will discuss his book on political posters in Uganda with Koen Vlassenroot. by Koen Vlassenroot Book Launch: Gender and Citizenship in Transitional Justice by Sanne WeberIn this book talk on 23 January (12:30) , Sanne will describe what gender-sensitive peace and justice looks like for those supposed to benefit from these processes, based on fieldwork in two locations on Colombia’s Caribbean Coast. by Maria Martin de Almagro Iniestaby Jeroen Adam New Publication: The Congolese Elections and International ObserversAs 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. by Koen Vlassenrootby Alice Gregoire New Publication: Searching for a Global Solidarity: A Collective Auto-Ethnography of Early-Career Women Researchers in the Asia-PacificThis forum critically reflects on discrimination faced by early-career women international relations (IR) scholars in the Asia-Pacific region in their workplaces and beyond. by Frances Cruz Book Launch: Facilitating researchers in insecure zones with Mats UtasDrawing upon his extensive research experience Mats Utas, in conversation with Karen Büscher, will elucidate how fragile relations with research brokers risk creating a single narrative of war. by Karen Büscher New Publication: The Politics of Mourning in Conservation ConflictsThis paper introduces a political ecology of vernacular memory to discuss the Basongora people's vernacular memories of their historical dispossession to create the Queen Elizabeth National Park (QENP) in Uganda. by Emmanuel Akampurira Obituary: In Honor of Datu MakapukawMary-Ann Manahan wrote a tribute in memory of her research collaborator Datu Makapukaw who tragically passed away. by Mary Ann Manahan New podcast: The humanness of humanity has a historyIn the 9th episode of PUAN podcast, co-host Saumya Pandey interviews anthropologist Mark Goodale on the history of human rights. by Saumya Pandey New Panel Presentation by Karen Büscher: Peripheral urbanisation and central political stakesThis presentation on 27 November during the conference on Politics and Policies of Africa’s Intermediate Cities organized by IFRI will discuss politics of boomtown urbanisation in Eastern Congo. by Karen Büscher New Publication: Ethnic Violence in Sri Lanka: Politics of Sinhala-Tamil TensionsCo-authored by Amit Ranjan, this chapter looks at claims to genocide in the context of the civil war between the LTTE and the Sri Lankan government. by Roshni Kapur New Special Issue in Territory, Politics, Governance: Transnational Assemblages and Security Knowledges.This Special Issue focuses on the notion of transnational security assemblages as central to understanding multiscalar processes of security knowledge production. by Maria Martin de Almagro Iniesta New media contribution: Climate Change and false hope (Kathmandu Post)Narrowing climate change to hope leads to the denial of the sickening and sinking emotions that the landscapes are already experiencing. by Saumya Pandey New Panel Presentation: Addis Ababa’s Peri-urbanisationThis presentation on 27 October during the conference on Urban Politics in the Global South will discuss peri-urbanisation as a microcosm or contestations over state formation in Ethiopia. by Ayehu Bacha Teso New media contribution: Pollution dans le Delta du NigerAmina Adebisi Odofin discusses the role of women as agent of change in Nigeria by Amina Adebisi Odofin New media contribution: Nord-Kivu: regain d’affrontements entre M23 et groupes armés locaux (Radio Okapi)Christoph Vogel discusses the recent involvement of local armed groups against the M23 on Radio Okapi. by Christoph Vogel New Publication: The Geopolitics of Green Colonialism Global Justice and Ecosocial TransitionsThis upcoming book, co-edited by CRG's Mary Ann Manahan, provides a platform for the voices that have been conspicuously absent in debates around energy and climate in the Global North. by Mary Ann Manahan New Publication: Understanding Conservation Conflicts in Uganda: A Political Ecology of Memory ApproachThis paper introduces a political ecology of vernacular memory to discuss the Basongora people's vernacular memories of their historical dispossession to create the Queen Elizabeth National Park (QENP) in Uganda. by Emmanuel Akampurira New Publication: Grandmother-inclusive intergenerational approaches: the missing piece of the puzzle for ending FGM/C by 2030?This brief argues that “grandmother-exclusionary bias” represents a major obstacle to eradication of these practices. by Anneke Newman Launch: Insecure Livelihoods FellowshipsThe Insecure Livelihoods Programme offers early and mid-career Congolese researchers the opportunity to plan, conduct and publish their own, original research. by Koen Vlassenroot New Roundtable presentation: Climate Justice: A Report from the Global SouthThis roundtable at the Institute for Policy Studies, Washington discusses how the climate justice movement in the Global South is responding to new “Green colonialism”? by Mary Ann Manahan New Panel Presentation: Is Context Everything? Social Cohesion in a Global PerspectiveThis panel during the annual conference of the research institute social cohesion (14 to 16 September 2023; Leipzig) brings together scholars and practitioners working on social cohesion and reconciliation from different perspectives and academic disciplines, focusing particularly on the African and the Asian continent. by Julian Kuttig New Publication: Faire face aux transformations des terrains: retours sur des expériences contrastéesThis dialogue between researchers from different generations, statuses, genders, institutions, nationalities and countries looks back on contrasting and even opposing experiences, showing that, for them, there is no unequivocal link between political contexts and research activities. by Josaphat Musamba New Special Issue: Locating sandThis special issue in the Extractive Industries and Society organised together with Melissa Marschke and Jean-François Rousseau aims to provide a jumping-off point towards both empirically and conceptually sophisticated work on sand. by Bert Suykens New Publication: Why time matters for understanding the ASM-LSM nexus in south-eastern Democratic Republic of CongoThis article advocates an approach which pays more attention to issues of time and temporality in places where large-scale forms of mineral extraction clash with small-scale ones. by Jeroen Cuvelier New Publication: Performing political stories of the self: Subverting identities in the city of Goma, DR CongoThis article looks at how young urban activists in the city of Goma in the Democratic Republic of Congo (hereafter Congo) politically appropriated performances that were initially meant as a research tool. by Sam Kniknie New Book Review of James Smith’s The Eyes of the WorldAs an anthropologist, James Smith distinguishes himself from fellow scholars in development studies and political science by striving for a genuinely emic understanding of how various transparancy initiatives have been experienced and given meaning to at the grassroots level by those working and living in and around 3T mines. by Jeroen Cuvelier New Publication: Armed groups, territorial control, land disputes, and gold exploitation in Djugu, Ituri, Democratic Republic of CongoThis report investigates the link between the exploitation of gold in Djugu territory and the current conflict. It addresses the question of whether the current conflicts in Ituri province result from competition over mineral resources, or is the presence of gold mines rather an opportunity to finance war efforts? by Josaphat Musamba New Publication: What water will the UN Conference carry forward: a fundamental human right or a commodity?In March, 2023, the first UN Global Conference on water in 46 years attracted 7000 people in New York (NY, USA). However, long-standing rifts over how to best manage access to water and govern water resources were revived, revealing a confrontation of different political and economic views. by Mary Ann Manahan Call for papers: Special issue: Gender and Development: A contested landscapeThis special issue of Anthropologie & développement invites contributors to place the sub-field of Gender and Development (GAD) under the microscope by unpacking, through fine-grained empirical case studies, how concepts related to gender, sexuality, feminism and decolonisation are imagined, produced, imposed, appropriated, and resisted through concrete development practices and projects. by Anneke Newman New Publication: Sand urbanism in Bangladesh: Transitions of sand extraction and trade in Dhaka-NarayanganjSand is shaping and has shaped urban development in many parts of the world. Developing the concept of sand urbanism, this paper aims to understand the recursive constitution of sand extraction and urbanity. by Bert Suykens New Publication: Governing through decay? The workings of a transnational CongoA federal organization of the Congolese state remains a political impossibility whose mere shadow invokes nationalist backlash often framed in the language of “balkanization by Christoph Vogel New Publication: Rebellious riots: entangled geographies of contention in AfricaIs violent conflict in Africa urbanizing? How do urban protests and civil war intersect? How do narratives, mechanisms and identities of contention move between urban and rural arenas? by Sam Kniknieby Karen Büscher