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.
Q&A: The Siege in Mali
As militant gunmen seize a hotel in the capital of the West African state of Mali, U.S. Institute of Peace Program Specialist Emily Fornof offers context for the incident. Fornof served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Mali, and is conducting graduate research on the country’s conflicts at George Mason University.
U.N. Peacekeeping in the Sahel: Overcoming New Challenges
New U.N. operations in the Sahel present unprecedented challenges for U.N. peacekeeping. They involve the United Nations directly in the struggle against transnational Islamist terrorism, weapons proliferation, and illicit trafficking by international organized crime. The United Nations must operate in countries with harsh terrain, vast expanses, poor communications, and porous borders. In response, the Security Council adopted more robust mandates based on the peace enforcement provisions of...
Deputy Secretary Blinken Urges 'Bold' U.N. Peacekeeping Review
U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Antony Blinken yesterday urged a high-level panel reviewing United Nations peace operations to conduct a rigorous assessment that will challenge member nations to ensure peacekeepers have the flexibility, capabilities and the political backing they need to function more effectively in increasingly complex conflict zones.
'Women of Courage' Awardees Challenge Social Norms Head On
Roshika Deo’s announcement that she would run in her country’s first election since a military coup eight years ago drew vicious condemnation on social media – racist and homophobic comments, threats of rape. Her story hails from the South Pacific island nation of Fiji, but it reflects the kinds of attacks, verbal and physical, also faced by her fellow recipients of the U.S. State Department’s International Women of Courage Awards this year.
USIP Hosts International Gathering on Water Security and Conflict Prevention
Assuring access to water of adequate quantity and quality in the face of increasing challenges poses a growing risk of future conflicts. But in preventing any outbreak of conflict, better water management can play a vital role in building peace and cooperation, a variety of officials and specialists said at the Water Security and Conflict Prevention Summit held at the U.S. Institute of Peace (USIP) on September 10.
Obama’s Africa Trip Seizes on Progress to Trumpet Economic Potential
President Barack Obama’s first extended trip to Africa will seize on democratic and economic progress in the three countries on his itinerary – Senegal, South Africa and Tanzania – to inspire further advances across the continent and encourage more American companies to plunge in.
Mali Ceasefire Is a Good Sign but Uncertainties Remain
A new ceasefire accord between Mali’s government and a key Tuareg rebel group from the country’s north is a hopeful sign, but questions remain about its implementation and Mali’s overall progress toward a restoration of democracy, security and national unity.
Crisis in Mali: Root Causes and Long-Term Solutions
The international focus on counterterrorism in Mali risks obscuring the root causes of the North African country's crisis, writes Hannah Armstrong in this Peace Brief. In short, she argues, power and resources must be transferred from the centralized state to outlying territories in order to promote long-term stability.
Mali’s Precarious Democracy and the Causes of Conflict
The fight to defeat jihadist militias in northern Mali has masked the underlying countrywide political crisis that feeds the conflict, according to this new Special Report. By engaging in intercommunal, inclusive dialogue to address past governance failures, Mali can begin to move toward stability and legitimacy.
Syria, Libya, Mali Illustrate Dilemmas of Backing Militias
Militias often fill the vacuum in conflicts or post-conflict situations where government law-and-order authorities are unwilling or unable to carry out their functions. Such a situation creates a fundamental dilemma: What should the relationship be between arguably legitimate authorities and the militias, and how can the connection be managed responsibly?