Dr Akuch Kuol Anyieth’s scholarship sits at the intersection of violence, legal intervention, social justice, and practices of repair within conflict-affected families and societies. Her research is grounded in deep, community-engaged methodologies, with a particular focus on South Sudan and African diasporic communities. Through rigorous qualitative and socially responsive scholarship, Dr Akuch has contributed to government policy development and reform debates and has served on numerous academic and advisory boards. Her work has received international recognition, including the Stellenbosch University Research Innovation and Excellence Award (2025) and Australia’s Excellence in Justice Award (2022).
Current Project
Dr Akuch’s current research project examines lived experiences of family and inter-communal violence in South Sudan, focusing on how these forms of violence intersect and reinforce one another, sustaining families and communities in ongoing cycles of harm. The project analyses how intimate, familial, and communal violence collectively shape social norms, structures of authority, and survival strategies. It further explores the role of community-based interventions alongside formal legal responses, attending to their strengths, limitations, and possibilities, as well as the complex processes of justice, accountability, and repair in contexts where violence remains persistent and unresolved.
Email: akuchanyieth@sun.ac.za
Selected Publications
Books:
Anyieth, A. K. (2025). Decolonising Family Violence Legal Intervention Orders in African Australian Communities. Palgrave Macmillan.
Anyieth, A. K. (2024). Violence and Trauma: Healing South Sudanese Families and Communities. Africa World Books Publishing Ltd.
Akuch, A. K. (2022). Unknown. Text Publishing.
Akuch, A. K. (2021). South Sudanese Manhood and Family Crisis in the Diaspora. Africa World Books Publishing Ltd.
Book chapters:
Anyieth, A. K. (forthcoming 2026). Forced Migration and the National Duty to Care: African-Australian Experiences of Violence. In editor(s) by Kilkey, M and Baldassar, L. Handbook on Migration, Mobility and Care. Edward Elgar Publishing Ltd.
Onsando, G., & Anyieth, A. K. (2025). Racism Experienced by African Australian Students from Refugee Backgrounds: A Critical Race Theory Analysis towards Ubuntu Anti-Racism Strategies. In editor(s) Matthews, J & Maire, Q. Handbook of Refugee Education: Comparative perspectives, innovations and new directions. Edward Elgar Publishing Ltd.
Journal articles
Jones, B., & Anyieth, A. K. (2023). CALD Communities as “Collateral Damage” in the Criminalization of Coercive Control: An Argument for Prioritizing Civil System Reform over Further Criminalization in Victoria. Violence Against Women, 0(0). https://doi.org/10.1177/10778012231214775
Anyieth, A. K. (2023). Facilitating Collective Healing for African Refugee Men in Australia: Identifying Challenges, Cooperative Approaches to Men’s Groups. Special Issue: Displacement. Transformations Generation for Peace Institute Journal (GFPI) 1 (2), 103- 116.
Anyieth, A. K. and Abur, W. (2022). The War Trauma and Mental Health Challenges for South Sudanese Men in the Diaspora. People centered – The Journal of Development Administration (JDA), 7(3), 75-83