German Institute for Global and Area Studies | Leibniz-Institut für Globale und Regionale Studien

German Institute for Global and Area Studies | Leibniz-Institut für Globale und Regionale Studien

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Prof. Dr. Matthias Basedau

Director of the GIGA Institute for African Affairs | Editor GIGA Focus Africa

Prof. Dr. Matthias Basedau
German Institute for Global and Area Studies | Leibniz-Institut für Globale und Regionale Studien

German Institute for Global and Area Studies | Leibniz-Institut für Globale und Regionale Studien

DEEN
  • Research & Transfer
    • The Mission of the GIGA
    • Comparative Area Studies
    • Policy Exchange and GIGA Berlin Office
    • Featured Topics and Countries
    • GIGA Experts
    • Research Projects
  • Publications
    • Peer-Reviewed Articles
    • Books
    • Contributions
    • Research Data
    • GIGA Focus
      • Specific Editions of the GIGA Focus Series
      • Thematic Branches of the GIGA Focus Series
    • GIGA Working Papers
    • GIGA Journal Family
  • Events
    • Conferences and Workshops
    • GIGA Talk
    • GIGA Forum
  • The GIGA
    • Management and Boards
    • Regional Institutes
      • GIGA Institute for African Affairs
      • GIGA Institute for Asian Studies
      • GIGA Institute for Latin American Studies
      • GIGA Institute for Middle East Studies
    • Research Programmes
      • Accountability and Participation
      • Peace and Security
      • Globalisation and Development
      • Global Orders and Foreign Policies
    • GIGA Library
    • Service Departments
    • GIGA Doctoral Programme
    • Team GIGA
    • Contact / Directions
  • Press
  • Career
  • Short CV
  • Current Research
  • Countries and Regions
  • Research Programmes
  • Memberships
  • Publications
  • Projects
  • Media
  • Lectures
  • Teaching

Short CV

  • 01-05/2025: On leave

  • Since 10/2018: Director of the GIGA Institute for African Affairs

  • 10/2016 - 12/2016: Visiting Fellow at Oxford Changing Character of War Programme

  • Since 05/2014: External Associate at Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO)

  • 03/2014 - 05/2014: Visiting Professor at Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO)

  • Since 12/2013: Professor at the University of Hamburg (§ 17 Professur)

  • 6/2005 - 04/2015: Head of GIGA Research Programme 2 "Violence and Security"

  • Since 2002: Research fellow with GIGA Institute of African Affairs; areas of expertise: Southern Africa, West and Central Africa; elections, political parties, democracy, civil-military relations, violent conflict, resource wars

  • Education: Political Science, Psychology, and Sociology at Heidelberg University; PhD 2001

Current Research

  • Resources conflicts

  • Religion and violent conflict

  • Civil–military relations

  • Political institutions

Countries and Regions

  • Sub-Saharan Africa

  • Mali

  • Niger

  • Chad

  • Botswana

Research Programmes

  • Peace and Security

Memberships

  • International Studies Association (ISA), Membership in discipline-specific association or network, 2013 - 2025
  • Bertelsmann Transformation Index, Bertelsmann Stiftung (BTI), BTI Regional Coordinator West and Central Africa, since 2004
  • Association for African Studies in Germany (VAD e.V.), Membership in region-specific association or network, since 2003

Prof. Dr. Matthias Basedau

Director of the GIGA Institute for African Affairs / Editor GIGA Focus Africa

T. +49 (40) 42825-517[email protected]

Publications

Civil Wars

Unanswered Prayers: Do the Ideas of Forgiveness and Justice Promote Pro-Peace Attitudes?

Do messages of forgiveness or justice reduce violence? A survey experiment in Ghana and Liberia finds the opposite: both cues raised willingness to use violence to defend religious groups, except among the highly educated. The findings underscore the need to better understand the conditions under which such appeals work before making policy recommendations.

Prof. Dr. Matthias Basedau

Evans Tindana Awuni

Dr. Lisa Hoffmann

Arne Pieters

Democratization | 09/2025

Resilient to Violence?: One plus Four Hypotheses on the Effect of Democracy on Domestic Conflict

Fifty years after the Third Wave of democratization, this systematic review revisits the debate on democracy and internal conflict. Analyzing 66 studies, it finds a modest peace effect: stable liberal democracies are more peaceful, while hybrids face more conflict—offering a nuanced optimism.

Prof. Dr. Matthias Basedau

Director of the GIGA Institute for African Affairs / Editor GIGA Focus Africa

GIGA Focus Afrika | 4/2025

The Decline of Western Influence in Africa: Three Consequences

The recent diversification of external actors present in Africa has served to increase the agency of its governments but may also bolster poor governance and fuel conflict in the long run. Western powers must clarify their priorities regarding goals and partners, as well as examine own biases here.

Prof. Dr. Matthias Basedau

Director of the GIGA Institute for African Affairs / Editor GIGA Focus Africa

GIGA Focus Afrika | 1/2025

Ten Things to Watch in Africa in 2025

Despite progress in some countries and issue areas, increasing pressure on governments is set to continue in 2025. Democratic prospects are mixed; security challenges persist. Regional integration stands at a crossroads as German and EU Africa policy navigates competition with China and others.

Prof. Dr. Matthias Basedau

Dr. Julia Grauvogel

Dr. Niklas Krösche

Journal of Intervention and Statebuilding | 2025

Correlates of Peace: Religious Determinants of Interreligious Peace

While the study of interreligious conflict is a growing field of research, interreligious peace lacks conceptualisation and empirical investigation. This article proposes a concept of interreligious peace that distinguishes between positive and negative elements as well as attitudinal and behavioural aspects.

Dr. Lisa Hoffmann

Dr. Julia Köbrich

Dr. Eric Stollenwerk

Prof. Dr. Matthias Basedau

Research Projects

Research Project | 01/08/2024 - 31/07/2026

Religion for Peace: Investigating Messengers and Messages for Interreligious Peace

Religious leaders are active for (interreligious) peace in many contexts and, for example, use their rhetoric to advocate for peace. The effectiveness of religious leaders’ rhetoric depends on the interplay of religious leaders being the messengers and the contents of their words—the message itself. This project (re)tests the (comparative) effectiveness of religious leaders as peace messengers and effective content of peace messages. The project also examines effects of an intervention.
DFG, 2024-2026

Research Project | 01/03/2021 - 30/09/2022

Corona Conflicts? Analysing Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Violent Conflict in Africa

At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, decision-makers warned that the pandemic might lead to more violent conflict in fragile states, especially in sub-Saharan Africa. This project engages in a mixed-methods approach to study related relationships.
Volkswagen Foundation, 2021-2022

Research Project | 01/11/2020 - 31/07/2024

Religion for Peace: Identifying Conditions and Mechanisms of Interfaith Peace

Religion has become an increasingly contentious phenomenon, with religious violence and discrimination on the rise worldwide. However, there are also many societies that are examples of peaceful interreligious coexistence. We contribute to the rigorous empirical study of the link between religion and interfaith peace, especially regarding elements of positive peace like interreligious cooperation.
DFG, 2020-2024

Research Project | 01/10/2020 - 30/09/2023

Freedom and Development? Religious Actors, Freedom of Belief and Religion, and Sustainable Development

About 80% of the world's population professes a religion. In many countries, religious actors play a major role in development, e.g. education and the satisfaction of basic needs. At the same time, freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) seems to be increasingly restricted and "religious" conflicts seem to be on the rise. We contribute to the international discussion how religion, and in particular FoRB, affects the Sustainable Development Goals. The project will provide policy recommendations with regard to potential religious partners in development cooperation.
BMZ, 2020-2023

Media Contributions

Der Spiegel | Interview | 01/12/2025

Warum gab es zuletzt so viele Putsche in Afrika?

Militärputsche in Afrika nehmen zu. Warum? GIGA-Experte Prof. Dr. Matthias Basedau erklärt gegenüber dem Spiegel: Auslöser sind politische Krisen und ein stark politisiertes Militär. Außerdem: Wenn ein Putsch in einem Land gelingt, steigt die Wahrscheinlichkeit von Nachahmung anderswo.

Kleine Zeitung | Interview | 08/08/2023

Militärputsch In Niger: "Russland versteht es, sich auf Krisen draufzusetzen"

Nach dem Staatsstreich in Niger wird hinter den Kulissen um eine Lösung gerungen. Im Interview erklärt Politikwissenschaftler Prof. Dr. Matthias Basedau, worum es in dem Konflikt geht und welche Rolle Russland und der Westen spielen.

tagesschau.de | Interview | 07/08/2023

Krise um Niger: "ECOWAS hat sich unter Zugzwang gesetzt"

Vor Donnerstag wird es keine Entscheidung über eine Militärintervention in Niger geben. Die ECOWAS setzt sich aber selbst unter Druck, sagt der Afrika-Experte Prof. Dr. Matthias Basedau im Interview. Kann es in dieser Lage noch einen Kompromiss geben?

Lectures

German Institute for Global and Area Studies | 06/11/2025

Roundtable on Advancing Comparative Area Studies

Organiser: German Institute for Global and Area Studies Prof. Dr. Patrick Köllner (Organiser, Panelist), Prof. Dr. Rudra Sil (Panelist), Prof. Dr. Matthias Basedau (Panelist), Dr. David Kuehn (Panelist), Prof. Dr. Miriam Prys-Hansen (Moderator), Dr. Eileen Doherty-Sil (Panelist)

Coming together for a roundtable, several contributors to "Advancing Comparative Studies: Analytical Heterogeneity and Organizational Challenges" (Oxford University Press 2025) launch the volume at the GIGA. They address the approach’s development in the past ten years and the content of the new book.

Prof. Dr. Patrick Köllner

Prof. Dr. Rudra Sil

Prof. Dr. Matthias Basedau

Dr. David Kuehn

Prof. Dr. Miriam Prys-Hansen

Dr. Eileen Doherty-Sil

Workshop | 05/06/2023 - 06/06/2023

Workshop Berlin: Religion for Peace? Identifying Conditions and Mechanisms of Interfaith Peace

Workshop Berlin: Religion for Peace? Identifying Conditions and Mechanisms of Interfaith Peace, GIGA Office Berlin, Berlin Dr. Lisa Hoffmann (Panelist, Organiser), Dr. Amanda tho Seeth (née Kovacs) (Panelist, Organiser), Dr. Julia Köbrich (Panelist, Organiser), Prof. Dr. Matthias Basedau (Organiser)

This workshop discussed facets of interreligious relations, focusing on the role religion can play for peace. It aimed to identify the conditions and mechanisms that facilitate interfaith peace and looked at the actors and approaches involved in strengthening peaceful relationships across religious communities.

Dr. Lisa Hoffmann

Dr. Amanda tho Seeth (née Kovacs)

Dr. Julia Köbrich

Prof. Dr. Matthias Basedau

GIGA Forum | 17/05/2022

The War in Ukraine and the Global South: Perceptions, Reactions, and Implications

The War in Ukraine and the Global South: Perceptions, Reactions, and Implications, Online Event Organisers: German Institute for Global and Area Studies (GIGA) Prof. Dr. Eckart Woertz (Speaker), Prof. Dr. Matthias Basedau (Speaker), Prof. Dr. Heike Holbig (Speaker), Dr. Johannes Plagemann (Speaker), Prof. Dr. Víctor Mijares (Speaker), Dr. David Kuehn (Moderator)

While most United Nations members quickly condemned Russia’s attack on Ukraine, a few actors in the Global South adopted a “neutral” stance. This GIGA Forum discusses how countries in Asia, Latin America, the Middle East, and sub-Saharan Africa perceive the war, are reacting to it, and what its consequences are for these states.

Prof. Dr. Eckart Woertz

Prof. Dr. Matthias Basedau

Prof. Dr. Heike Holbig

Dr. Johannes Plagemann

Prof. Dr. Víctor Mijares

Dr. David Kuehn

Teaching

Teaching | Department for Political Science, University of Hamburg | 2021

COVID-19 and Violent Conflict in the Global South

GIGA expert Prof. Dr. Matthias Basedau gave the course "COVID-19 and Violent Conflict in the Global South" as a Seminar Institute of Political Science at the Department for Political Science, Universität Hamburg in 2021.

Teaching | University of Hamburg (UHH) | 2021

Resource Conflicts

University of Hamburg (UHH) Hamburg Germany

Reading course on key texts in the study of resources and conflict

Teaching | GIGA Institute for African Affairs | Peace and Security | GIGA Doctoral Programme | 2021

The Multidimensionality of Concepts

Workshop on multidimensionality of concepts with examples from GIGA research projects (religion and resources)