Bruno Braak
Guest researcher
- Name
- Dr. B.J. Braak MA
- Telephone
- +31 71 527 2727
- b.j.braak@law.leidenuniv.nl
- ORCID iD
- 0000-0001-7612-9941
Bruno Braak (1987) is senior policy researcher with the Netherlands’ Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Policy and Operations Evaluation Department (IOB). Until August 2024, Bruno worked as post-doctoral researcher at the Van Vollenhoven Institute in the research project ‘Access to Justice in Libya’, an unprecedented 4-year research project with a large team of Libyan scholars and professionals. In 2022, Bruno defended his PhD based on a monograph 'Overcoming Ruptures: Zande identity, governance and tradition during cycles of war and displacement in South Sudan and Uganda (2014-9)'. For this thesis, Bruno conducted multi-sited ethnographic research in South Sudan and Uganda. The thesis shows how people attempt to construct continuity and coherence in times of conflict, displacement, and change, and it shows what roles traditional authorities play in that regard. Elements of Bruno’s research were published with the Rift Valley Institute, the Africa-blog of London School of Economics and Political Science, Civil Wars Journal, Legal Pluralism and Critical Social Analysis, and the Journal of North African Studies.
Bruno studied Peace and Conflict Studies (MLitt) at the University of St Andrews. His master’s thesis on peace missions in Kosovo was awarded the Sir Menzies Campbell Prize for the best thesis written in the School of International Relations. Before that, he studied Cultural Anthropology at Leiden University with a thesis on conflict and mining in the DR Congo. Bruno interned with NRC Handelsblad, the Netherlands Embassy in Sudan, the Clingendael Institute and Stichting Duurzame Samenleving Papua. He has also set up a website with video-interviews: https://warandpeacetalk.com.
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Guest researcher
- Faculteit Rechtsgeleerdheid
- Instituut voor Metajuridica
- Van Vollenhoven Instituut
- Braak B.J. & Ibrahim S.M.K. (2024), Women’s disinheritance in Libya: how women in Benghazi claim long denied inheritance rights, The Journal of North African Studies : 1-23.
- Braak B. (2023), Graves, trees, and spray-paint: land tenure formalisation and five normative repertoires in post-conflict South Sudan, Legal Pluralism and Critical Social Analysis 55(1): 58-76.
- Waanzi I. & Braak B. (15 March 2023), Eight lessons on resilience and coping by South Sudanese refugees in Uganda. Africa at LSE. London (The London School of Economic and Political Science). [blog entry].
- Braak B.J. & Kenyi J.J. (2023), Zande chieftaincy and kingship: historical memories, future visions and reinstatement of a Zande kingdom. In: Singer A. (Ed.), A touch of genius: the life, work and influence of Sir Edward Evans-Pritchard. The RAI Book Series in Anthropology no. 4. Canon Pyon: Sean Kingston Publishing. 225-235.
- Hillary I.W. & Braak B.J. (2022), ‘When the World Turns Upside Down, Live Like a Bat!’: idioms of suffering, coping, and resilience among elderly female Zande Refugees in Kiryandongo refugee settlement, Uganda (2019–20), Civil Wars 24(2-3): 159-180.
- Braak B.J. (1 June 2022), Overcoming ruptures: Zande identity, governance, and tradition during cycles of war and displacement in South Sudan and Uganda (2014-2019) (Dissertatie. Institute for the Interdisciplinary Study of the Law, Faculty of Law, Leiden University) Meijers-reeks no. MI-390. Supervisor(s) and Co-supervisor(s): Otto J.M., Jacobs C.I.M. & Leonardi C.
- Braak B.J., Otto J.M. & Ibrahim S.M.K. (2022), Access to justice in Libya: report on the first phase concerning justice seekers. Leiden/Benghazi: Van Vollenhoven Institute/Benghazi Centre for Law and Society Studies.
- Braak B.J. (7 September 2020), ‘Warlord politics’ guides peace in South Sudan. Africa at LSE Blog: The London School of Economics and Political Science. [blog entry].
- Braak B. & Kenyi J.J. (2018), Customary Authorities Displaced: The experience of Western Equatorians in Ugandan refugee settlements. Nairobi, Kenya: Rift Valley Institute.
- Braak B.J. (2016), Policy Brief South Sudan : working with local institutions to improve the provision of justice. Leiden: Van Vollenhoven Institute. [white paper].
- Braak B.J. (2016), Exploring Primary Justice in South Sudan: Challenges, concerns, and elements that work. Leiden: Van Vollenhoven Institute, Leiden University.
- Braak B.J. & Jacobs C. (2016), Literature Review: Justice in South Sudan. Leiden: Van Vollenhoven Institute, Leiden University.
- Braak B.J. (2016), Exploring Primary Justice in South Sudan: Challenges, concerns, and elements that work. Leiden: Van Vollenhoven Institute.
- Braak B.J. (6 November 2015), HL Hart in South Sudan: the war-torn secondary rule of recognition. Leiden Law Blog. Leiden: Leiden University. [blog entry].