91 CELEBRITIES’ ROLE IN THE CONFLICT RESOLUTION PROCESSES: GEORGE CLOONEY IN SOUTH SUDAN Kateřina Ženková Rudincová a Abstract: e present article discusses the role of celebrities in the conflict resolution processes presented by the case study of George Clooney’s engagement in South Sudan. Methodologically, it is a critical discourse analysis of published articles in selected media. e main argument of the article is that the role of celebrities in conflict resolution processes is overestimated by media and the image of celebrities’ involvement reproduces stereotyped understanding of distant regions as lacking agency and dependent on the actors from the West. e image of Clooney’s role in the South Sudanese peace process creates an idea that celebrities have been crucial actors in this process. e present article brings critical new insights on the engagement of celebrities, including the fight against the violation of human rights and points out the corruption of South Sudanese politicians. Keywords: celebrity diplomacy, conflict resolution, development, South Sudan, media, critical discourse analysis Introduction Celebrities’ involvement in Africa started at the beginning of the 20 th century with the campaign of famous writers such as Arthur Conan Doyle and Joseph Conrad against the brutal administration of Belgian King Leopold in Congo, and continued with the activism of Sylvia Pankhurst against the Italian occupation of Ethiopia in the 1930s (Cole, Radley and Falisse 2015). Since then, there have been a number of celebrities engaging in various issues in connection with this continent, especially in the era of independent African states, such as Audrey Hepburn who used her fame to fight poverty in Africa and in Somalia and Ethiopia in particular (Wheeler 2011). Celebrities have engaged themselves as UN ambassadors, drew attention to humanitarian disasters and poverty, and advocated for the elevation of the ird World Debt. However, the turning point in the celebrity humanitarianism was Modern Africa: Politics, History and Society 2020 | Volume 8, Issue 2, pages 91–124 https://doi.org/10.26806/modafr.v8i2.304 a Department of Human Geography and Regional Development, University of Ostrava, e Czech Republic, E-mail: katerina.zenkova@osu.cz.