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.
Crisis in the Niger Delta
USIP's David Smock explores the factors underlying and perpetuating the militancy in the oil-rich Niger Delta region of Nigeria. In this report, based on an 11-day trip to Nigeria in late August 2009, Smock analyzes the prospects for the amnesty process, and why stronger political processes and economic development could help address the roots of the conflict there.
Reinforcing Treasury’s Strategic Roles in International Affairs and National Security
Amid the global financial crisis, USIP explores the Treasury Department's current functions and resources as a foundation to more effectively strengthen financial institutions and combat illicit finance in non G-20 countries. USIP's Jeremy Pam describes how the Treasury Department might be better organized to play a greater strategic role in international affairs that addresses financial crises in developing countries and, in doing so, serves U.S. national security interests.
Beyond Emergency Responses in the Democratic Republic of Congo
In the Democratic Republic of Congo, the deadly conflict has claimed the lives of millions and appears to have no end. A new USIP report provides context to this protracted war, assesses current approaches and presents new options on how to resolve it.
A New Agenda for Bosnia and Herzegovina
As concerns grow about Bosnia's post-war recovery, USIP presents its fourth report on recent developments in Bosnia and Herzegovina and various options the U.S. government, Europe and Bosnia could pursue to prevent a return to violence there. In his paper, author Jim O'Brien, who served as the presidential envoy for the Balkans in the 1990s, cautions against taking a big initiative in Bosnia to head off a future crisis, but rather advocates taking on many, smaller battles that will ultimately...
Blood Oil in the Niger Delta
The trade of stolen oil, or “blood oil,” in Nigeria is fueling a long-running insurgency in the resource-rich Niger Delta region that has claimed many lives. Oil “bunkering” – or theft – has fomented the armed conflict in the region, providing militant groups with funds to purchase weapons, and has increased instability in oil prices on world energy markets. Nigerian President Umaru Yar’Adua in July 2008 asked the Group of Eight nations for help in dealing with the problem, but no concrete ac...
Scenarios for Sudan: Avoiding Political Violence Through 2011
More political violence will be hard to avoid in Sudan, barring a quick change in current trends, according to a new USIP report. Much of the outcome hinges on the handling of issues that involve the 2011 referendum on whether the South secedes from Sudan.
How Opium Profits the Taliban
In Afghanistan's poppy-rich south and southwest, a raging insurgency intersects a thriving opium trade. A new USIP report, How Opium Profits the Taliban, examines who are the main beneficiaries of the opium trade, how traffickers influence the Taliban insurgency as well as the politics of the region, and considers the extent to which narcotics are changing the nature of the insurgency itself.
Hearing on the Afghan Economy
USIP Visiting Research Scholar Jeremiah S. Pam testified on July 14, 2009, before the House Oversight and Government Reform Subcommittee on National Security and Foreign Affairs on efforts by the U.S., the Afghan government and others to spur the Afghan economy in an effort to stabilize the country.
Counting the Costs of Somali Piracy
Authored by USIP's Raymond Gilpin, this new working paper offers practical strategies to mitigate the rising costs of Somali piracy and lay the foundation for lasting peace. The upsurge in attacks by Somali pirates between 2005 and mid-2009 reflects decades of political unrest, maritime lawlessness and severe economic decline which has dire implications for economic development and political stability in Somalia.
The Real Bridge to Nowhere: China's Foiled North Korea Policy
This report examines the complexities of Chinese-North Korean relations, taking into account the perspective of China's border areas, a vital aspect of China's relationship with the Korean peninsula that is often overlooked.