Flora McCrone is a political anthropologist and conflict specialist focusing on the Horn of Africa. She is a Visiting Fellow at the Firoz Lalji Institute for Africa and is currently undertaking a PhD in Politics at Goldsmiths, University of London.

Flora’s PhD research explores moments of political transition and violence – primarily associated with decentralisation processes and elections – in the Horn of Africa’s arid, fragile and nomadic pastoralist zones. Her PhD research is inter-disciplinary and uses the lenses of public authority, the political marketplace and political ecology. She is applying a comparative ethnographic approach to different settings in the Horn region to investigate these emerging dynamics and develop policy-relevant analysis. Linked to her PhD research, Flora has also recently completed research for the LSE’s Centre for Public Authority in Development.

In addition, Flora’s ongoing research interests focus on evolving Horn of Africa and Red Sea (inter-)regional political relations and interests, especially as they relate to Somalia and other conflict-affected countries in Africa.

Flora has worked as a researcher and independent consultant in the region for a decade, with substantial field experience in South Sudan, northern Kenya and Somalia. Her previous projects have included working with the LSE’s Conflict Research Programme and Justice and Security Research Programme. Flora has also led consultancy projects for Small Arms Survey and several major UK, US and multilateral-funded programmes, with a focus on conflict stabilisation, armed groups and extremism, and transitional justice.