Robbins Lecture 2024: The weaponisation of collective moral injuries in Africa

The enduring legacies of colonialism, systemic violence and political instability in Africa have inflicted deep moral injuries that extend beyond the individual, permeating the collective consciousness of entire communities. This lecture seeks to explore the often-overlooked collective dimensions of moral injury in Africa, examining how they manifest through cultural artifacts, narratives and the lived experiences of various communities.

Building on her doctoral research and fieldwork, our speaker Assala Khettache will trace the ways in which collective moral injuries are inflicted, transmitted across generations and strategically manipulated. She will introduce the concept of weaponising collective moral injuries, demonstrating how actors—such as Russian Private Military Companies—exploit these deeply rooted wounds to fuel cycles of betrayal, resentment and disempowerment for their own gain.

This lecture will encourage a critical examination of the weaponisation of moral injuries, advocating for culturally informed strategies that empower communities to resist exploitation, reclaim their agency and transform these wounds into pathways for collective healing.

About our speaker

Assala Khettache is a doctoral candidate in International Politics at Aberystwyth University, researching the exploitation of local African communities by Russian private military companies. Her research, grounded in fieldwork, blends insights from psychology, sociology and international relations, positioning moral injury at the heart of her interdisciplinary approach. Trained at the Shay Center for Moral Injury, Assala is particularly dedicated to exploring how moral injury is perceived and experienced across diverse African communities.

Fluent in six languages, Assala deeply engages with the people and cultures she studies, enriching her research through meaningful connections. Her passion for this field is driven by personal experience with moral injury.

Assala’s academic journey began with a BA in international relations, where she graduated as national valedictorian in Algeria. She then completed her MA at the Social Sciences University of Ankara. In 2021, she was awarded an Erasmus fellowship at King’s College London’s Defence Studies Department. Beyond academia, she consults for the Royal United Services Institute and chairs the Postgraduate Network of the British International Studies Association. Previously, Assala led an international research project on the Libyan crisis and worked as a youth mentor, helping teens from economically disadvantaged backgrounds access educational and employment opportunities.

Join us

All are welcome to attend either in person or online.

The session will take place online at 6pm BST | 7pm CEST | 10am PDT | 11am MDT | 12noon CDT | 1pm EDT. To receive the Zoom link, please register at TicketTailor.

If you are local to Durham, UK, please do join us in person if you can for the lecture, discussion and post-lecture drinks. The venue is the Bishop's Dining Room in Durham Castle, Palace Green. To attend in person, please register at TicketTailor if possible but registration is not essential - please feel free to just turn up.