Dr João Gomes Porto - Staff Profile

NameDr João Gomes Porto
Contact PositionSenior Lecturer, Director of Undergraduate Studies
Email Addressj.gomesporto@bradford.ac.uk

Research Areas

  • Conflict Analysis and Early Warning (Theory and Practice)
  • African Regional Organisations
  • Regional Security Regimes (African Peace and Security Architecture)
  • War to peace transitions (DDR)
  • History of Lusophone Africa (Angola)

Main Geographic Areas:

  • Africa, especially:
  • Lusophone Africa
  • Great Lakes Region

João Gomes Porto joined the Department as a lecturer during October 2005, following a three and a half years stay in South Africa as Head of the African Security Analysis Programme at the Institute for Security Studies (ISS). Since his arrival at Peace Studies, João has continued to actively pursue his interest on African regional security, in particular the development of an African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA). In this regard, João has centred the work of the Africa Centre's 'African Regional Institutions Cluster' on research support and the provision of policy advice to the African Union (AU) on the design and implementation of the Continental Early Warning System (CEWS). Having participated in the process that led to the development of the 'Roadmap for the Implementation of the CEWS' in 2005, João is part of a team tasked by the African Union's Commission (Conflict Management Division) with the CEWS' implementation. Comprising officials from the AU's Conflict Management Division, Prof Doug Bound (Harvard) and Prof Ulf Engel (Leipzig), and with an implementation timeframe of three years and the support provided by the German Cooperation Agency (GTZ), the team is now busy developing the structures, processes and methodology of this important pillar of the AU's peace and security architecture.


Over the last year, João has also pursued his research interest in 'war to peace transitions', focusing on demobilisation, disarmament and reintegration of former combatants. In this regard, João has co-authored a forthcoming Ashgate volume with Chris Alden (LSE) and Imogen Parsons which represents the first in-depth and comprehensive discussion of reintegration of former combatants in war to peace transitions. From Soldiers to Citizens: Demilitarisation of Conflict and Society proposes a radically new conceptualisation of reintegration of former combatants in war to peace transitions with potentially significant implications on the design and implementation of DDR programmes. For the next two academic sessions, João will be focusing his research on a volume on the contemporary conflict history of Angola, as well as continue his reflection on conflict analysis and early warning theories, methods and practices titled Conflict Analysis: Purpose, Method, Applications.

Bibliography

Engel, Ulf with João Gomes Porto and Doug Bound (Eds), Towards an African Peace and Security Regime: Continental Embeddedness, Transnational Linkages, Strategic Relevance, Ashgate Publishers, Forthcoming, 2010.

Engel, Ulf with João Gomes Porto (Eds), Africa's New Peace and Security Architecture: Promoting Norms and Institutionalising Solutions, Ashgate Publishers, March 2010.

Gomes Porto, João. "Zimbabué: Contributos para a compreensão duma crise multifacetada" in Manuela Franco (Ed), A UE e Africa: Em Busca de uma Parceria Estrategica, Instituto Portugues de Relacoes Internacionais (IPRI), November 2009.

Ulf Engel and João Gomes Porto, "The African Union New Peace and Security Architecture: Towards an Evolving Security Regime", Special Issue of African Security Edited by Fredrik Soderbaum, Volume 2 Issues 2-3, Taylor and Francis, November 2009.

(Policy research) Gomes Porto, João and Doug Bond, COMESA Early Warning System: Development of COMWARN, Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa, First Experts Workshop on COMESA Conflict Early Warning System, COM/LEG/CPS/WCEW/I/3 REV 1, Port Louis, Mauritius, 18th - 20th May, 2009.

Gomes Porto, João. "The Mainstreaming of Conflict Analysis in Africa: Contributions from Theory" D Francis (Ed), Peace and Conflict in Africa, pp.46-67, Zed Books, September 2008.

Gomes Porto, João. "Zimbabué: Contributos para a compreensão duma crise multifacetada", Relações Internacionais, March 2008.

Poku, Nana with Neil Renwick and João Gomes Porto, "Human Security and Development in Africa", International Affairs, 83:6, 2007.

Gomes Porto, João with Chris Alden and Imogen Parsons, From Soldiers to Citizens: Demilitarisation of Conflict and Society, Ashgate Publishers, November, 2007.

Gomes Porto, João with Chris Alden and Imogen Parsons, "From Soldiers to Citizens: A study of the social, economic and political reintegration of UNITA ex-combatants in post-conflict Angola", Institute for Security Studies, Monograph Series, 2007.

Gomes Porto, João. "A Nova Arquitectura de Segurança Africana: O alerta anticipado no seio da União Africana". Os Desafios das Relações Europa-África: Uma Agenda de Prioridades, Instituto de Estudos Estratégicos e Internacionais, Lisbon, November 2004.

Malan, Mark and João Gomes Porto (Eds). "Challenges of Peace Implementation: The UN mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo", Institute for Security Studies, April 2004.

Gomes Porto, João. "Angola Quarterly Risk Assessment: January to February 2004" in FAST Update, SwissPeace, Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, March 2004.

Gomes Porto, João. Angola, in Revolutionary and Dissident Movements: an international reference guide (4th edition), Bogdan Szajkowski (Ed), John Harper Publishing, 2004.

Gomes Porto, João. Mozambique in Revolutionary and dissident movements: an international reference guide, (4th edition), Bogdan Szajkowski (Ed), John Harper Publishing, 2004.

Gomes Porto, João. Cabinda: Notes on a soon to be forgotten war, ISS Paper No 77, August 2003.

Gomes Porto, João. Mozambique's contribution to the Africa Mission in Burundi African Security Analysis Situation Report, May 2003. www.iss.co.za

Gomes Porto, João and Imogen Parsons. Sustaining the Peace in Angola. An Overview of Current Demobilisation, Disarmament and Reintegration. Bonn International Centre for Conversion (BICC), Paper 27, March 2003. Also published by the Institute for Security Studies, Monograph Series, No. 83, April 2003.

Gomes Porto, João and Jenny Clover. The peace dividend in Angola: Strategic implications for Okavango basin cooperation. Transboundary Rivers, Sovereignty and Development: Hydropolitical drivers in the Okavango River basin, A Turton, P Ashton & Eugene Cloete (Eds), African Water Issues Research Unit (AWIRU) and Green Cross International (GCI), 2003.

Gomes Porto, João. As Relacoes entre Angola e Africa do Sul: Cooperacao Construtiva ou Rivalidade Prematura? O Mundo em Portugues, Instituto de Estudos Estrategicos e Internacionais, Vol. III (31), Lisbon, 2002.

Gomes Porto, João. Angola at DD+040: Preliminary Assessment of the quartering, disarmament and demobilisation process African Security Analysis Programme Situation Report, 4 June 2002. www.iss.co.za

Gomes Porto, João. Contemporary Conflict Analysis in Perspective. Scarcity and Surfeit: The Ecology of Africa's Conflicts, Jeremy Lind and Kathryn Sturman (Eds), Institute for Security Studies, June, 2002.

Gomes Porto, João. Angola: A Case for Cautious Optimism Business in Africa Magazine, June 2002.

Gomes Porto, João with Richard Cornwell and Henri Boshoff. Death of Savimbi renews hope for Peace in Angola. And yet, can the Black Cockerel Fly?. African Security Analysis Situation Report, 26 March 2002. www.iss.co.za

Ruben Zamora, João Porto, Wandia Gichuru and Luca Renda.Guatemala: The Long Struggle For Peace. EXPANDING THE ROLE OF UNDP IN SUPPORT OF THE GUATEMALA PEACE PROCESS. Report by the Bureau for Crisis Prevention and Recovery, UNDP, January 2002

Gomes Porto, João. 'Is this the African Renaissance? Domestic conflicts' threat to regional security in Africa in the 1990s'. Journal of the Royal United Services Institute for Defence Studies. Whitehall London, October, 1999.