Dr. Lee Mainga Habasonda is a political scientist, peacebuilding scholar and governance practitioner with more than 25 years of experience in academia, governance, democracy, elections, peacebuilding, conflict prevention and public policy. His work combines academic research and teaching with extensive practical experience in governance and democratic processes in Zambia, Southern Africa and other African contexts.
His principal areas of academic and professional interest include international affairs and foreign policy, African politics, democratic governance, political economy, elections and electoral governance, conflict analysis and prevention, peacebuilding, post-conflict reconstruction, regional integration and security, and human rights.
- Habasonda, L. M. “The Military, Civil Society and Democracy in Zambia: Prospects for the Future.” African Security Review, Vol. 11, No. 2, 2002.
- Habasonda, L. M. “Pitfalls of Gender Activism in Africa.” Agenda, No. 54, 2002, pp. 99–105.
- Habasonda, L. M. “Intra-State Conflicts and the Role of Development Aid: The Case of the Greater Horn of Africa and the Ivory Coast.” In Reality of Aid 2006. Zed Books.
- Habasonda, L. M. “State–Civil Society Relations: An Assessment of Conflict Dynamics, Contestations and Cooperation in the Political Space.” University of Zambia, 2010.
- Habasonda, L. M. “Regional Dynamics of Fragile States: The Case of Zimbabwe in Southern Africa.” In State Fragility in Eastern and Southern Africa, OSSREA, 2016.
- Habasonda, L. M. “Corruption, Ethnicity and Violence as a Triple Political Strategy: The Changing Face of Politics in Zambia.” Notes de l’Ifri, 2018.
- Habasonda, L. M. “Malawi and Zambia.” In Kleynhans & Wyss (eds.), The Handbook of African Defence and Armed Forces. Oxford University Press, 2025.
- International Relations and International Politics
- Foreign Policy and Diplomacy
- African Politics and Political Affairs
- Democratic Governance and Political Institutions
- Political Economy
- Elections and Electoral Governance
- Conflict Analysis, Prevention and Management
- Peacebuilding and Post-Conflict Reconstruction
- Regional Integration and Security
- Human Rights and Civil Society
- Governance and Institutional Reform
- Public Policy and Political Analysis
- International Organizations, Governance & Development