Thomas Shacklock is a PhD candidate in the Department of Political Economy, specialising broadly in conflict and peacebuilding. His PhD project examines the impact of peacebuilding practices on identity construction in contexts of “agropastoral conflicts” driven by resource grievances and identity-based exclusion in sub-Saharan Africa, focusing primarily on Nigeria.

Thomas has contributed to research and advocacy related to conflicts and atrocities in neglected African contexts for the US-based nonprofits Genocide Watch, Human Rights Research Center (HRRC), and Crane Centre for Mass Atrocity Prevention. He has particularly focused on DR Congo, advising policymakers on related advocacy, and has co-authored pieces for openDemocracy, The Brussels Times, Opinio Juris, and Peace Review.

Throughout this research, Thomas has developed a strong interest in developing frameworks for “bridging” polarised narratives pertaining to complex conflicts. He holds a first-class honours in BA French Studies from the University of Birmingham and a distinction in MSc International Relations from the University of Bristol.

Research interests

• Conflict and peacebuilding
• Nomadism and “agropastoral” conflict
• Hybrid political orders in “fragile states”
• The intersection of geopolitics and localised conflicts
• Mass atrocities
• Identity politics and minority rights
• Sub-Saharan Africa

PhD supervisors

Dr Portia Roelofs and Dr Jonathan Leader Maynard