Publications
Articles, publications, books, tools and multimedia features from the U.S. Institute of Peace provide the latest news, analysis, research findings, practitioner guides and reports, all related to the conflict zones and issues that are at the center of the Institute’s work to prevent and reduce violent conflict.
Jonas Claes on Election Risk in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Ukraine
Jonas Claes provides risk analysis for elections taking place in the Democratic Republic of Congo in December and in Ukraine in March, 2019. A combination of complicating factors ranging from ongoing conflicts, outside meddling, logistical hurdles and voter apathy top Claes’ concerns that election violence could be stoked in both elections.
Jonas Claes on Liberia and Kenya’s Elections
Jonas Claes joins us to talk about Liberia’s election and the significance of the country's first peaceful transfer of power since 1944. Claes also lays out the challenges for the Kenyan election...
Q&A: What Works in Preventing Election Violence
The elections this year in the Philippines, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon and even the United States, demonstrate how high-stakes elections frequently trigger anxiety, tension or even violence or the threat of unrest. Properly managed elections allow opposing groups to press their claim to power through a peaceful process. But in fragile democracies, elections frequently feature intimidation or violent protest. U.S. Institute of Peace Senior Program Officer Jonas Claes, editor o...
Libya and the “Responsibility to Protect”
Jonas Claes, program specialist in USIP’s Center for Conflict Analysis and Prevention, talks about the "Responsibility to protect" principle and its application to the current situation in Libya.
Atrocity Prevention at the State Level
In “Atrocity Prevention at the State Level,” Jonas Claes examines how states can mitigate the internal risk of atrocities through security sector reform and improved horizontal equality.
Obama Announces Formation of the Atrocities Prevention Board
On April 23, 2012, President Obama announced the formation of the Atrocities Prevention Board and other steps to help the United States prevent and respond to mass atrocities. USIP’s Jonas Claes discusses the impact these initiatives will have on U.S. atrocity prevention efforts.
Q&A: What’s Next for Kenya After Presidential Elections?
The world watched anxiously as Kenyans prepared for presidential elections last week, concerned that the country would be unable to produce a credible vote free of violence. While some fatalities were reported in sporadic clashes between police and protesters...
In Madagascar, a Presidential Vote Sees Old Fissures Resurface
On November 7, the Indian Ocean island nation of Madagascar, a country larger in area than California and more populous than Florida, goes to the polls to elect its next president. With a history of political crisis and fraught elections, the 2018 polls have seen renewed acrimony as no less than four former presidents of Madagascar seek the country’s highest office. USIP’s Aly Verjee and Jonas Claes discuss what’s at stake, the challenges ahead and how election disputes and violence can be mitigated.
EU Conflict Prevention Revisited
This Peace Brief follows a series of interviews conducted with senior EU officials in Brussels, and examines the anticipated impact of the new European External Action Service on EU prevention activities.
Preventing Violence During Ukraine’s 2019 Elections
Ukraine’s 2019 presidential and parliamentary elections will take place against a tense backdrop of Russian aggression, ongoing conflict in the Donbas region, and a momentous split in the Ukrainian and Russian Orthodox churches. This Special Report, based on an assessment conducted by USIP in late 2018, identifies...