Mahmood Mamdani, Ph.D. Closed Now

Mahmood Mamdani (born 1946) is a Ugandan academic, political theorist, and public intellectual whose work has profoundly influenced the study of transitional justice, post-colonial governance, and the politics of memory. Known for his incisive critiques, Mamdani has challenged conventional approaches to justice in post-conflict societies, urging frameworks that prioritize political reconciliation, social transformation, and historical understanding over purely legal accountability.

Educated at the University of Dar es Salaam and Harvard University, Mamdani became one of Africa’s leading voices on governance, ethnicity, and post-conflict recovery. He has held teaching positions at institutions including Makerere University, the University of Cape Town, Columbia University, and the University of Dar es Salaam.

His book When Victims Become Killers: Colonialism, Nativism, and the Genocide in Rwanda (2001) is a landmark in transitional justice scholarship. In it, Mamdani argues that the Rwandan genocide cannot be understood solely through the lens of criminal accountability but must be situated in the broader history of colonialism, identity politics, and structural violence. This perspective reshaped debates about truth commissions, international tribunals, and national reconciliation in Africa and beyond.

Mamdani has also written extensively on South Africa’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission, critiquing its limitations while recognizing its innovations. He has highlighted the tension between justice as punishment and justice as reconciliation, advocating for approaches that address root causes of conflict such as inequality, land dispossession, and systemic exclusion.

Beyond academia, Mamdani has participated in policy debates on transitional justice in Uganda, Rwanda, and Sudan. His voice has often been provocative, challenging both African governments and international actors to think more critically about the political dimensions of justice and peacebuilding.

Currently a Professor at Columbia University and Director of the Makerere Institute of Social Research (MISR), Mamdani continues to produce scholarship that bridges history, politics, and justice. His intellectual contributions remind practitioners and scholars that transitional justice must grapple not only with individual crimes but also with collective memory and structural change.