Jonathan R. Beloff

Dr. Jonathan R. Beloff is a Research Associate at King’s College London’s Department of War Studies within the School of Security Studies. His work focuses on the regional politics, security, and development of the African Great Lakes region, particularly Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. He holds a PhD in Politics and International Studies from the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), a Master of Science in International Development and Humanitarian Assistance from New York University, and a Bachelor of Arts from Richard Stockton University of New Jersey.

• Research Interests: Central African Politics, Security and Development, Post-Genocide Reconstruction, Global North-South Relations, African Foreign Policy, Regional Security Dynamics, Military Strategy
• Affiliations: Kigali Genocide Memorial (Visiting Researcher)

Dr. Beloff’s research examines military decision-making during the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, focusing on the strategic implications of the Rwanda Patriotic Army’s actions. His publications include the 2021 book Foreign Policy in Post-Genocide Rwanda: Elite Perceptions of Global Engagement (Routledge) and numerous peer-reviewed articles in journals like African Security Review and Genocide Studies and Prevention. He has conducted fieldwork in Rwanda since 2008, collaborating with local institutions such as the National Commission for the Fight against Genocide and advising international policymakers on Central and East African affairs.

His work bridges political science, genocide studies, and military strategy, with a particular emphasis on localized norm-building and the securitization of historical memory. Current projects include analyzing Rwanda’s diplomatic realignments (e.g., shifting engagement from France to the UK) and the strategic consequences of global conflicts (e.g., Ukraine-Russia war) on African states.