Tufts – Feinstein International Center

Darlington Akabwai retired from the Feinstein International Center in 2023. While at the Center, he conducted research and wass responsible for research operations for projects in Uganda and South Sudan, with an emphasis on Karamoja. He worked closely with governments and local communities to ensure that research projects were carried out effectively and respectfully. Darlington worked on community-based programs with pastoralist communities in Africa for more than 25 years and provided critical expertise on indigenous knowledge and culture. His training as a veterinarian and his reputation as a peacemaker afforded him great respect throughout the region. Officials within the African Union’s Conflict Management Unit consider him to be one of the most respected and successful peacemakers in Uganda, Kenya, and Sudan, and they regularly called on his expertise.

Prior to joining Feinstein, Darlington pioneered community-based approaches to livestock care in East Africa and was instrumental in establishing programs that controlled rinderpest in Ethiopia, Sudan, Uganda, and Kenya. With the African Union, Darlington developed one of the cornerstones of its work: pastoral conflict resolution and management, including working with local women to bring peace to the area with “Women’s Peace Crusades.”

He holds a degree in veterinary medicine from the University of Nairobi.