Skip to main content
Kieran  Mitton

Dr Kieran Mitton

Reader in Conflict, Security and Development

Research interests

  • Conflict
  • Security

Biography

Kieran is a Reader in Conflict, Security and Development, Research Director of the Conflict, Security & Development Research Group, and co-Chair of the Africa Research Group. He is co-founder of the Urban Violence Research Network and an Affiliate of the Brazil Institute. He specialises in field research on violence and youth marginality, with extensive experience in Sierra Leone, Brazil and South Africa.

Kieran holds a BA in Politics and Philosophy from the University of York and an MA, MRes and PhD from King's College London. He has consulted and worked for a range of international organisations, think tanks and risk consultancies related to conflict, security and development. He regularly provides commentary on violence, gangs, youth, and contemporary political developments to international media. During 2017-2018 he was a Visiting Associate at the Safety and Violence Initiative at the University of Cape Town, South Africa and Visiting Fellow at the Igarapé Institute, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Research

Urban Violence
Kieran’s most recent work explores urban violence, youth marginality, and the crime-conflict nexus, and evaluates the effectiveness of two contrasting responses to urban violence: public health interventions and securitised state-responses. Since 2016 he has conducted extended fieldwork with gang members, communities and security sector actors in Rio de Janeiro (Compexo da Maré), Cape Town (Manenberg and Hanover Park), Freetown, and London (Lambeth and Newham). The research provides a uniquely multi-disciplinary, comparative micro-level analysis of the various factors shaping urban violence, and gives emphasis to the voices of youth, gang-members and affected communities. This research will form the basis of a book exploring urban violence and comparative youth experiences around the world. 

Kieran currently leads a British Academy-funded project – ‘Life in between: youth street gangs and marginality in contemporary Sierra Leone’ – which explores Sierra Leone’s nascent gang-scene and associated street-violence. In collaboration with Professor Ibrahim Abdullah (Fourah Bay College, Sierra Leone), the 18 month project involves in-depth fieldwork and multidisciplinary analysis of the challenges facing Sierra Leone's marginal youth, seeking innovative policy solutions that avoid detrimental securitised responses.

Atrocities and Violence in Civil War
Since 2008 Kieran has conducted regular fieldwork in Sierra Leone to interrogate the various causes and dynamics of extreme violence in conflict. Taking a broad inter-disciplinary approach, he is especially interested in violence characterised as ‘irrational’ and the role played by the emotions of disgust and shame. His book, Rebels in a Rotten State: Understanding Atrocity in the Sierra Leone Civil War (2015, Hurst/Oxford University Press), draws on extensive interviews with perpetrators of violence to address the most seemingly ‘senseless’ acts of atrocity. Read reviews

Within the Conflict, Security and Development Research Group, Kieran leads ‘Beyond Reason?’ with Professor Mats Berdal – a project that brings together leading international researchers from various academic disciplines to address the question of how we might better understand and tackle civil war atrocities.

Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration (DDR) 
Kieran is interested in the challenges faced in war-to-peace transitions, particularly with regard to the disarmament and reintegration of armed groups through both formal and informal processes. From 2007-2012 he conducted a longitudinal study of Sierra Leone’s ex-combatants and their experience of DDR, giving particular attention to the neglected area of political integration.

Recent Publications

  • Mitton, Kieran (forthcoming) 'The Natural Environment and Atrocity Crimes', in Barbora Hola, Hollie Nyseth Brehm, and Maartje Weerdesteijn (eds.), Oxford Handbook of Atrocity Crime (Oxford University Press, 2020).
  • Mitton, Kieran (forthcoming) 'Making Contact: Interviewing Rebels in Sierra Leone', in Roger Mac Ginty, BirteVogel and Roddy Brett (eds) The Companion to Peace and Conflict Field Research (Palgrave-Macmillan, 2020).
  • Mitton, Kieran (2019) Public Health and Violence’Critical Public Health, Vol. 29, Issue 2.
  • Mitton, Kieran (2018) 'War by Another Name? The ‘Urban Turn’ in 21st Century Violence', T.note, Vol. 59, Human Security Issue 7 – 23 April 2018
  • Mitton, Kieran (2018) 'Elite Bargains and Political Deals Project: Sierra Leone Case Study', in Elite Bargains and Political Deals Project, UK Stabilisation Unit, Feb 2018. 
  • Mitton, Kieran (2015) Rebels in a Rotten State: Understanding Atrocity in Sierra Leone (London: Hurst/Oxford University Press)

A full list of publications is available on the Research Portal


Teaching

Kieran teaches on or convenes the following:

  • 7SSWM140 Conflict, Security and Development (MA)
  • 7SSWM069 Approaches to Understanding Violence and Atrocity in Civil Wars (MA)
  • 7SSWM171 Comparative Civil Wars (MA)
  • 6SSW3004  War and International Politics in Africa (BA)

PhD Supervision

Kieran currently supervises the following PhD students:

  • Cristal Downing - Lead supervisor
    Re-entry to Society or Re-entry to War: Factors Affecting Children's Participation and Longevity in the Reintegration Programme in Colombia.
  • Hannah Goozee - Lead supervisor
    Trauma and Truth and Reconciliation Commissions: South Africa.
  • Ashley Jackson - Lead supervisor
    The Art of the Deal: Civilian-Insurgent Bargaining in Afghanistan
  • Francesca Mercurio - Joint lead supervisor (KCL/USP, Brazil)
  • Jessica Moody - Lead supervisor
    What is the relationship between reintegration and reconciliation in post-conflict Cote d'Ivoire?
  • Tony Manganello - Joint lead supervisor
    Indigenous Attitudes Toward U.S. Intelligence and Military Operations in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Case Study of Kenya.
  • Katy Thornton - Lead supervisor (Collaborative Doctoral Partnership with Imperial War Museum)
    The influence of contemporary culture on young combatants in West Africa (1989–2003), explored through the archives of ‘trans-media’ journalist Tim Hetherington
  • John Ubani Jr - Lead supervisor
    Intra-Military and Ethno-Regional Dynamics of Military Withdrawal from Politics in Nigeria – 1999 and Beyond.
  • Nikki Cade - Second supervisor
    Rio's mega-events and the socio-cultural impacts on marginalized host communities
  • Abdul Wando - Second supervisor
    The Historical Role of Non-Governmental Organisations and Aid in addressing Violent Religious Extremism and the Boko Haram insurgency in Borno, Nigeria (1960-2020)

Research

africa research promo
Africa Research Group

The Africa Research Group provides a hub for Africa-focused research within the War Studies Department and across the College.

war-studies-wire-hero-1903x558
War Crimes Research Group

Conducting research and teaching on war crimes (broadly conceived) and war.

twisted gun promo
Conflict, Security & Development Research Group

CSDRG undertakes a wide range of research, policy, advisory, and teaching activities related to conflict, security and development.

suphi-hero-1
Social science and Urban public health institute

Working with collaborators around the theme of urban public health

archivepapers
Conflict Records Unit

The Conflict Records Unit specialises in primary sources of contentious, war-related provenance and enduring historical value

ESRChero
Environmental Security research group

The Environmental Security research group brings together scholars from the security community and scholars working on issues of environmental security.

Arts&ConPROMO
Arts & Conflict Hub

The Arts & Conflicts hub uses artistic mediums to communicate, teach and research the complexities of conflict

mental health conflict hero
Centre for Conflict & Health Research

Cross disciplinary initiative studying the intersection of global health, security, and political governance in conflict-affected fragile states and regions.

KBI Praça da Liberdade, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
Diplomacy, security and defence

This research group asks how the Brazilian state manages its geopolitical situation, to craft its security, defence and foreign policies.

_DSC0102
Latin American Security Research Group

The Latin American Security Research Group (LAS) gathers experts working on international relations, defence and security in Latin America.

Events

05MarAfrica Week 2024

Africa Research Forum 2024

What kind of doctoral research on, in and with Africa takes place at King’s College London?

Please note: this event has passed.

07Mar06 Hawa Girl with Water

Displacement, labour and the making of global cities in Somalia

A talk by the authors of a new book on how internally displaced people shape cities in Somalia.

Please note: this event has passed.

30NovYouth Gangs in Urban Africa

Youth Gangs in Urban Africa: Research Findings and Implications

This discussion will showcase research based on recent fieldwork in Cape Town, Lagos, and Freetown.

Please note: this event has passed.

27OctContemporary West African Politics

States of Crisis? Contemporary West African Politics

Join the Africa Research Group for an insightful discussion on recent developments and apparent trends in the region, providing insight into local contexts...

Please note: this event has passed.

03OctInsecure-Guardians-wide

Insecure Guardians: Enforcement, Encounters and Everyday Policing in Postcolonial Karachi

Zoha Waseem discusses her book, an exploration of policing in Karachi, Pakistan’s largest city and financial capital, which reveals many colonial continuities.

Please note: this event has passed.

03MarAfrica Week 3-9 March 2022

Africa Research Forum 2022

This year's forum will take place in person and features presentations by King's College London students and Africa Research group.

Please note: this event has passed.

30NovSierraLeoneGangs

Life in Between: Youth Street Gangs and Marginality in Contemporary Sierra Leone

A conversation on present the findings of a three-year study of Sierra Leone’s contemporary streets gangs

Please note: this event has passed.

18OctEveryday Peace

Conflict Disruption: How so-called ordinary people can disrupt violent conflict

Roger Mac Ginty discusses his new book on how violent conflict can be disrupted by so-called "ordinary" people

Please note: this event has passed.

25OctNegotiating Survival

Negotiating Survival Civilian–Insurgent Relations in Afghanistan

Dr Ashley Jackson discusses her new publication based on over 400 interviews with Taliban and civilians

Please note: this event has passed.

19MayFrontlinesofpeace2

The Frontlines of Peace

Award-winning author and researcher, Séverine Autesserre, discusses her new book ‘The Frontlines of Peace’

Please note: this event has passed.

Research

africa research promo
Africa Research Group

The Africa Research Group provides a hub for Africa-focused research within the War Studies Department and across the College.

war-studies-wire-hero-1903x558
War Crimes Research Group

Conducting research and teaching on war crimes (broadly conceived) and war.

twisted gun promo
Conflict, Security & Development Research Group

CSDRG undertakes a wide range of research, policy, advisory, and teaching activities related to conflict, security and development.

suphi-hero-1
Social science and Urban public health institute

Working with collaborators around the theme of urban public health

archivepapers
Conflict Records Unit

The Conflict Records Unit specialises in primary sources of contentious, war-related provenance and enduring historical value

ESRChero
Environmental Security research group

The Environmental Security research group brings together scholars from the security community and scholars working on issues of environmental security.

Arts&ConPROMO
Arts & Conflict Hub

The Arts & Conflicts hub uses artistic mediums to communicate, teach and research the complexities of conflict

mental health conflict hero
Centre for Conflict & Health Research

Cross disciplinary initiative studying the intersection of global health, security, and political governance in conflict-affected fragile states and regions.

KBI Praça da Liberdade, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
Diplomacy, security and defence

This research group asks how the Brazilian state manages its geopolitical situation, to craft its security, defence and foreign policies.

_DSC0102
Latin American Security Research Group

The Latin American Security Research Group (LAS) gathers experts working on international relations, defence and security in Latin America.

Events

05MarAfrica Week 2024

Africa Research Forum 2024

What kind of doctoral research on, in and with Africa takes place at King’s College London?

Please note: this event has passed.

07Mar06 Hawa Girl with Water

Displacement, labour and the making of global cities in Somalia

A talk by the authors of a new book on how internally displaced people shape cities in Somalia.

Please note: this event has passed.

30NovYouth Gangs in Urban Africa

Youth Gangs in Urban Africa: Research Findings and Implications

This discussion will showcase research based on recent fieldwork in Cape Town, Lagos, and Freetown.

Please note: this event has passed.

27OctContemporary West African Politics

States of Crisis? Contemporary West African Politics

Join the Africa Research Group for an insightful discussion on recent developments and apparent trends in the region, providing insight into local contexts...

Please note: this event has passed.

03OctInsecure-Guardians-wide

Insecure Guardians: Enforcement, Encounters and Everyday Policing in Postcolonial Karachi

Zoha Waseem discusses her book, an exploration of policing in Karachi, Pakistan’s largest city and financial capital, which reveals many colonial continuities.

Please note: this event has passed.

03MarAfrica Week 3-9 March 2022

Africa Research Forum 2022

This year's forum will take place in person and features presentations by King's College London students and Africa Research group.

Please note: this event has passed.

30NovSierraLeoneGangs

Life in Between: Youth Street Gangs and Marginality in Contemporary Sierra Leone

A conversation on present the findings of a three-year study of Sierra Leone’s contemporary streets gangs

Please note: this event has passed.

18OctEveryday Peace

Conflict Disruption: How so-called ordinary people can disrupt violent conflict

Roger Mac Ginty discusses his new book on how violent conflict can be disrupted by so-called "ordinary" people

Please note: this event has passed.

25OctNegotiating Survival

Negotiating Survival Civilian–Insurgent Relations in Afghanistan

Dr Ashley Jackson discusses her new publication based on over 400 interviews with Taliban and civilians

Please note: this event has passed.

19MayFrontlinesofpeace2

The Frontlines of Peace

Award-winning author and researcher, Séverine Autesserre, discusses her new book ‘The Frontlines of Peace’

Please note: this event has passed.