Michael Yekple

I am a visiting assistant professor of African Studies at Bowdoin College and a Research Fellow at the School of Politics, Security, and International Affairs, University of Central Florida.  I received a PhD in Security Studies at the University of Central Florida. Originally, from Ghana, I received bachelor's and master's degrees from the University of Cape Coast and the University of Ghana. 

My research focuses on peacekeeping effectiveness and civilian protection in armed conflict, conflict and political violence, voters and foreign policy, and the international politics of Africa. 

My book project examines the effectiveness of the deployment of drones for civilian protection in peacekeeping operations and the implications for civilian populations in conflict contexts. Specifically, I explore how the configuration of peacekeeping missions shapes whether drone capability enables peacekeepers to intervene to prevent armed attacks against civilian populations and how the implications of drone deployment shape civilian support for their use in conflict contexts. I use qualitative and experimental designs to examine these different aspects of drone deployment in peacekeeping. 

My scholarly and policy works have been published in  African Security Review, Plos One, African Peace and Conflict Studies, among other outlets. 

I have previously occupied research at the Legon Center for International Affairs and Diplomacy—an influential foreign policy institution under Ghana's Foreign Ministry—and at the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Center, both located in Accra, Ghana. In these positions, my research primarily focused on peace and security in Africa, encompassing topics such as conflict resolution, peacebuilding, terrorism, and the rise of violent extremism in the West African sub-region.