Reports and articles
Roadblocks and Revenues: The Politics of Passage
From Afghanistan and Yemen and from Mali to Somalia, checkpoints are central to dynamics of armed conflict, funding insurgents, driving violence and shaping governance by various types of armed actors, state and non-state alike. A new working paper series on roadblocks and revenues sheds lights on checkpoints in conflict contexts across the world and provides a new window into dynamics of authority and power.
Time for Change: The Normalization of Corruption and Diversion in the Humanitarian Sector
Although the aid sector often treats corruption and diversion as an anomaly, they are pervasive, systemic and often unwittingly perpetuated by standard aid sector practices. Drawing primarily on evidence from Somalia and Afghanistan (with reference to other contexts), this paper explores the specific aid practices that enable and perpetuate corruption and diversion, and what donors and implementers should be doing differently.
Resist, negotiate, submit?
This paper examines life under jihadist groups like JNIM in Mali, looking at the different survival strategies civilians employ.
Climate Adaptation in No-Man's Land
This paper examines climate change and armed groups, specifically the failure the address climate adaptation in areas beyond state control.
Citizens without states: implications of non-recognition for people in de facto states
This paper examine the impact of non-recognition of de facto authorities on the people living in these territories. Arguing that the negative social, economic and well being impacts are profound, it urges for a re-think approaches to de facto authority.
Diverse pathways to people-centred justice
Globally, most people do not resort to formal justice systems to address their justice problems. Rather, they rely on diverse pathways to justice often referred to collectively as “customary and informal justice.” Published by IDLO on behalf of the Working Group on CIJ and SDG16+, of which the Centre is a member, this report highlights the need for more people-centered approaches to justice.
Playing the long game: Exploring the relationship between Al-Shabab and civilians in areas beyond state control
Based on extensive research in Al-Shabab controlled areas of Somalia, this paper explores dynamics between Al-Shabab and those who live under their control.
Taliban Arms Management Practices
This paper argues that we should not see ‘political’ and ‘criminal’ groups as separate categories. Instead, we should envision a spectrum of motives and practices across all armed groups, regardless of how they are labelled.
Crime and Communities: Life under criminal group control
This paper argues that we should not see ‘political’ and ‘criminal’ groups as separate categories. Instead, we should envision a spectrum of motives and practices across all armed groups, regardless of how they are labelled.
Understanding Agency in Civilian-Armed Group Interactions
This joint paper with ODI explores what we know (and what we don’t) about how ordinary people engage with armed groups.