Author Archives: Mark Kersten

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About Mark Kersten

Mark Kersten is an Assistant Professor in the Criminology and Criminal Justice Department at the University of the Fraser Valley in British Columbia, Canada, and a Senior Consultant at the Wayamo Foundation in Berlin, Germany. Mark is the founder of the blog Justice in Conflict and author of the book, published by Oxford University Press, by the same name. He holds an MSc and PhD in International Relations from the London School of Economics and a BA (Hons) from the University of Guelph. Mark has previously been a Research Associate at the Refugee Law Project in Uganda, and as researcher at Justice Africa and Lawyers for Justice in Libya in London. He has taught courses on genocide studies, the politics of international law, transitional justice, diplomacy, and conflict and peace studies at the London School of Economics, SOAS, and University of Toronto. Mark’s research has appeared in numerous academic fora as well as in media publications such as The Globe and Mail, Al Jazeera, BBC, Foreign Policy, the CBC, Toronto Star, and The Washington Post. He has a passion for gardening, reading, hockey (on ice), date nights, late nights, Lego, and creating time for loved ones.

US Negotiating with the Taliban: Bargaining with the Devil?

This week’s news that the US is negotiating with the Taliban in Afghanistan may have come as a shock to some. It has, however, been part of a long and heated conversation about how to resolve the seemingly unwinnable war … Continue reading

Posted in Afghanistan, Human Rights, Justice, Pakistan, Peace Negotiations, Taliban, United States | 2 Comments

Bashir to Visit China, US endorses it: But What Does it Mean?

While Sudan’s President Omar al-Bashir won’t be visiting Malaysia due to “other engagements,” it looks very likely that he will, in fact, be visiting China. The Chinese Foreign Ministry has confirmed that Bashir, wanted by the ICC for his role … Continue reading

Posted in China, Darfur, ICC Prosecutor, International Criminal Court (ICC), Sudan, United States | 1 Comment

Bashir to Malaysia? The ICC and Marginalizing Indicted Leaders

This week, Malaysia joined the ever-growing group of states which have considered inviting Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir to visit (note: it is now apparent he will not visit – see below). With the exception of a tiny minority of world … Continue reading

Posted in China, Darfur, International Criminal Court (ICC), Kenya, Malaysia, Peace Negotiations, Ratko Mladic, Serbia, Sudan | 4 Comments

Why Uganda is Our Best Chance to get to the Bottom of the Peace-Justice Debate

Most of the academic and political attention that the International Criminal Court (ICC) receives these days comes from Sudan and Libya. There is little doubt that the investigations of Sudan’s Omar al-Bashir and Libya’s Muammar Gaddafi have captured the imagination … Continue reading

Posted in Amnesty, Central African Republic (CAR), Crimes against humanity, Darfur, Democratic Republic of Congo, International Criminal Court (ICC), Kenya, Libya, Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), Peace Negotiations, Traditional Justice Mechanisms, Uganda, War crimes | 13 Comments

Off to Uganda: Peace and/or/with/versus Justice

Dear Readers, I am off to Uganda today to begin almost three months of research on the effects of the ICC’s investigations and arrest warrants on peace processes and negotiations in Northern Uganda. In particular, I will be focusing on … Continue reading

Posted in International Criminal Court (ICC), Transitional Justice, Uganda | 1 Comment

Before you go Supporting Exile for Gaddafi, Beware of What You Assume

Each time a conflicted and fragile society resolves to confront a murderous, tyrannical or dictatorial ruler, a similar question inevitably surfaces: should the ruler and his cabal be allowed, or even encouraged, to go into exile? The logic in support … Continue reading

Posted in Amnesty, Exile, International Criminal Court (ICC), Libya, Libya and the ICC, Sudan, Syria, Uganda, Yemen | 3 Comments

You Say Genocide, I Say Genocide: Some Thoughts on the Genocide Debate

In an article on the continued debate about the meaning and use of the term ‘genocide’, The Economist writes: “Prosecutors, judges, historians and politicians have made huge efforts in recent years to describe the boundaries of genocide: when mere mass … Continue reading

Posted in Crimes against humanity, Genocide, Peace Negotiations, Ratko Mladic, Rwanda, Sudan, United States | 8 Comments

The ICC’s Next Top Prosecutor: The Candidates

Last week, we had a fascinating and lively discussion about some of the criteria and political issues regarding the election of the International Criminal Court’s next Prosecutor.  In December, the ICC’s state-members will converge to elect the Court’s second Prosecutor. … Continue reading

Posted in International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR), Next ICC Prosecutor, Special Court for SIerra Leone (SCSL) | 9 Comments

The Arab World and the ICC: A New Chapter or Smoke and Mirrors?

To date, the most fascinating, dynamic and at times frustratingly contradictory relationship the ICC has had has been with the African Union (AU) and its member states. Today, however, the relationship which appears set to define the Court’s second decade … Continue reading

Posted in African Union (AU), Arab League, Egypt, Human Rights, ICC Prosecutor, International Criminal Court (ICC), Justice, Libya, Libya and the ICC, Middle East, Qatar, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, Uganda, UN Security Council | 1 Comment

Pursuing and Serving Justice Fairly: Is Mladic Fit to Stand Trial?

In a post a few months back, I pondered what a trial of Gaddafi would be like, given his aptitude for emotional and delusional outbursts. It was at that time that legal scholar Dov Jacobs of Spreading the Jam suggested … Continue reading

Posted in Balkans, Genocide, Human Rights, ICTY, Justice, Libya, Serbia, Slobodan Milosevic | 1 Comment