Elias Opongo, S.J., is the Dean of Hekima Institute of Peace Studies and International Relations (HIPSIR), Hekima University College.  He holds a Ph.D. in Peace and Conflict Studies from University of Bradford, UK and an M.A. in International Peace Studies from University of Notre Dame, USA. His research focus is in the areas of transitional justice and post conflict reconstruction, ethics of just war, state fragility and militarization of conflicts, religious extremism and violence, state building and community peacebuilding, and extractive industries and natural resource governance. Opongo has published books, book chapters, and articles on conflict resolution, transitional justice, peacebuilding, and Catholic Social Teaching. His recent book titles include, among others: Religious Extremism and Violence in Africa (2019); Pope Francis on Good Governance and Accountability in Africa (2018); Transitional Justice in Post-Conflict Societies in Africa; and Catholic Leadership in Peacebuilding in Africa (2014).