Ilyssa Yahmi

Ilyssa Yahmi is an Assistant Professor of International Relations in the department of History and Politics. Her research contributes to the study of violence, political economy of conflict, and borders. Her book project examines smuggling as a political strategy instrumentalized by insurgent actors to support a political cause. She has received funding from the Fulbright Program, the United States Institute of Peace, the Minerva Research Initiative, and the Cross-Border Conflict, Evidence, Policy and Trends Programme (XCEPT).

Dr. Yahmi is currently co-editing a special issue on rebel finance and governance in the journal Civil Wars, and is working on a project linking climate and displacement for the Malcolm H. Kerr Carnegie Middle East Center. Her other research interests include migration and human smuggling in North and West Africa, and identity and state-building. She has conducted field research in Algeria, Mali, Mauritania, Sénégal, and France.