Dr. Abigail Kabandula is a Fellow at the University of Denver's Josef Korbel School of Global
and Public Affairs and a 2025-2026 MacCormick Fellow-in-Residence at the University of
Edinburgh Law School. She recently served as the Founding Director of the Africa Center at
the Korbel School. Abigail was appointed by the United Nations (UN) Secretary-General as
a Humanitarian Affairs Expert on the UN Security Council Panel of Experts on al-Shabaab in
Somalia for the 2025-2026 mandate.
Her research and teaching focus on global governance and human security in Africa, with
particular attention to the root causes of conflict, state fragility, and regional instability. In
addition to examining terrorism, violent extremism, and the effectiveness of multilateral
responses to crises, especially peace operations and special political missions, she
analyzes the geopolitics shaping Africa’s evolving security landscape. A growing strand of
her work highlights the strategic importance of economic corridors across Africa, exploring
how cross-border infrastructure, trade routes, and regional connectivity influence political
stability, development, and external engagement.
Abigail has contributed to discussions on African security frameworks, the African Union's
role in peace operations, Africa's engagement with rising powers such as China and Turkey,
and the women, peace, and security agenda. She also examines interactions between the
Horn of Africa and the Middle East (Gulf States), as well as cooperation between the
African Union and the United Nations on security issues.
Abigail holds a Ph.D. in Global Governance and Human Security from the John W.
McCormack Graduate School of Policy and Global Studies at the University of
Massachusetts, Boston, dual master’s degrees in Global Governance and Human Security
from UMass Boston, and Historical Studies from the University of Cape Town (UCT). She
also earned an honors degree in gender and transformation from UCT and a bachelor’s
degree from the University of Zambia.