To have a holistic understanding of conflict while appreciating the role and characteristics of natural resources, it is important to establish the dynamics and relationship between security and natural resources. The proposed workshop will critically examine the conditions that position critical minerals and energy as a source of conflict, within conflict economies, in interstate conflicts and the governance of transnational resources and standards associated with good policy practices.
Themes
Papers should broadly fall under one of the following thematic areas that will be covered during the workshop.
- Conflict economies and resource extraction: Hyrdopower plants, agro-industrial plantations, mining operations and large-scale projects are development projects but the process of negotiatin gthe investments and their implementation can disrupt peace and stability. In some cases, these are driven by power contestation among world power economies, often driving conflict and competition in fragile contexts. For instance, in 2021 Democratic Repoblic of Congo mined over 70% cobalt globally (1), this extracting exacerbated the prolonged conflict in the region (2).
- Transnational Resources and geo-politics: Complex geo-politics and conflict arise due to shared cross border resources; a good example is the hydro politics that emerged out of the building of Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam built on the River Nile.
- Community-level impact and social fragmentation: investments seeking land often clash with local land rights, creating livelihood disruption, displacement, and land dispossession. In most African settings, governments have failed to protect its citizens and the environment, with conflicts often leading to visible impacts on the local population —including upon health, livelihood and the well-being of communities.
- Governance, Standards, and Accountability: examining local, national and regional laws and standards broadens shared understanding concerning critical minerals, energy, conflict and best practices. These aspects of policy have been largely overlooked by humanitarian agencies and exonomists advocating for corporate responsibilities.
Expected outputs
- In person presentation of the papers
- Workshop proceedings
- Journal special edition
Workshop format:
The workshop is organized as an in-person event with on-site participants; it might however accommodate few online speakers. It will be held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Dates and deadlines:
- 11 March 2026: Abstract deadline
- 20 March 2026: Announcement of selected abstracts
- 30 April 2026: Full paper submission
- 08 June 2026: Workshop date
Submit your abstract
Please submit your abstract to research@ipss-addis.org by 11 March 2026.
Full call for abstracts
Read the full call for abstracts here.
About CoRE
The Africa-Europe Clusters of Research Excellence initiative, CoRE, was launched in June 2023 by The Guild of European Research-Intensive Universities and the African Research Universities Alliance (ARUA). It brings together over 160 institutions across 60+ countries to foster equitable, long-term research partnerships.
(1) Chandler, B (2022). Africa's critical minerals: Africa at the heart of a low-carbon future (p.5). Mo Ibrahim Foundation.
(2) Usanov, A. (n.d.). Coltan, Congo & conflict: Polinares case study (p.33). The Hague Centre for Strategic Studies (HCSS); Framhofer ISI Raw Materials Group; Bundesanstalt für Geowissenschaften und Rohstoffe (BGR).