Natasja Rupesinghe

Research Fellow
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Natasja Rupesinghe is a PhD fellow in the Research group on peace, conflict and development. She is also a DPhil candidate in International Relations in the Department of Politics and International Relations at the University of Oxford at Nuffield College. At Oxford she is a member of the T. E. Lawrence Program on the study of conflict.

Her research focuses on conflict, political violence, civilian agency and protection issues, as well as how states and international organisations like peace and counter-insurgency operations respond to violence and instability. She has conducted fieldwork in Mali, Somalia, Ethiopia and Sri Lanka.

Natasja Rupesinghe’s PhD project examines jihadist insurgencies in the Sahel region of West Africa, focusing on the cases of Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger. This research explores a number of interrelated questions including: why do jihadist insurgencies mobilise and develop local systems of rule in some localities and not others? Why do some establish local rule through the use of force and violence, while others employ legitimacy-building techniques, such as providing local justice? Why and how do some communities prevent jihadists from developing a presence in their villages, when doing so involves taking considerable risks? Her project is funded through the Norwegian Research Council’s FRIPRO (funding scheme for independent projects), as part of the NUPI-led international project “Jihadist Insurgent Governance in the Sahel”.

Prior to starting her doctorate, Rupesinghe has been a Research Fellow at NUPI on the Training for Peace Programme and was seconded as a policy officer to the African Union Peace Support Operations Division, at the African Union headquarters in Addis Ababa. She has an MSc in Conflict Studies from the London School of Economics and Political Science, and a BA in European Social and Political Studies specialising in International Relations and French at the University College London.

Education

University of Oxford DPhil Candidate, Department of Politics and International Relations

London School of Economics and Political Science MSc in Conflict Studies

University College London Bachelor in European Social and Political Studies specialising in International Relations and French

Oslo International School International Baccalaureate

Work Experience

2018- Research Fellow, NUPI

2017 Policy Officer, Peace Support Operations Division, African Union Commission (seconded by Training for Peace Programme)

2016-2018 Junior Research Fellow, NUPI

2013 Intern, Human Rights Watch, London

2009 Intern, Relief International, Colombo

Publications All publications

Projects All projects

Events All events

  • Jihadist Governance in the Sahel
    Event
    Tue 22 Jun 2021
    Time: 11:00 Europe/Oslo | Location: Microsoft Teams

    Often depicted as “Islamic terrorists”, jihadist insurgent governance has rarely been systematically researched in the academic literature. In this seminar, we will discuss what the research tells us about how jihadists govern and why their governance differs not only between different groups but a1

  • What is the impact of the UN missions in Mali and South Sudan?
    Event
    Tue 28 May 2019
    Time: 09:30 Europe/Oslo | Location: NUPI

    On the occasion of the International Day of Peacekeeping, NUPI has the pleasure of inviting you to a seminar with a focus on the effectiveness of the UN missions in Mali and South Sudan.

Articles All articles