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Who is profiting from African conflicts? George Clooney wants to find out.

Actor George Clooney, in collaboration with human rights activist John Prendergast, has just launched an investigative project called The Sentry.

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Toru Hanai/REUTERS
Cast member George Clooney attends the Japan premiere of the movie "Tomorrowland" in Tokyo May 25, 2015.

George Clooney is out to catch the bad guys again. But this time, he鈥檚 not doing it on the big screen.听

Collaborating with human rights activist John Prendergast, the 'Tomorrowland' star just launched an investigative project called .

Created under the umbrella of The Enough Project, another brainchild of Mr. Prendergast, The Sentry plans to track down the funders and beneficiaries of Africa鈥檚 deadliest conflicts.听It will rely on open source data collection, field research, and network analysis technology to analyze how key players finance, sustain, and monetize conflict.听

鈥淩eal leverage for peace and human rights will come when the people who benefit from war will pay a price for the damage they cause,鈥 Mr. Clooney said in a .听

The Sentry鈥檚 analysts will collaborate with local and international civil society organizations, journalists, and governments. The project will also depend on anonymous tips, leaks, and information submitted through its website鈥檚 secure portal.

For those who aren鈥檛 familiar with Africa鈥檚 conflicts and the key figures involved, The Sentry published summaries tracing the web of corruption, violence, and kleptocracy in .

鈥淐ountries such as Sudan, South Sudan, Somalia, the Central African Republic, and the Democratic Republic of Congo are often referred to as failed states, but in reality, they should be considered hijacked states,鈥 the site reads.

鈥淚n these states, high-level corruption linked to violence is not anomalous; it constitutes the actual system of governance.鈥澨

This isn鈥檛 the first time Clooney鈥檚 delved into activism. In 2010, he and Prendergast, former Africa director for the National Security Council, launched the .听

Aimed at mapping human rights violations in northern and southern Sudan, the project uses satellite imagery and analysis to monitor and document threats to civilians in both countries.

"We want to let potential perpetrators of genocide and other war crimes know that we're watching," said Clooney in a 2010 statement. "It's a lot harder to commit mass atrocities in the glare of the media spotlight."

While it鈥檚 too early to tell whether The Sentry鈥檚 tracking will influence the perpetrators in Africa鈥檚 conflicts, Clooney and Prendergast claim their alternative methods provide more enhanced paths towards the truth and more accountability than traditional efforts.

鈥淐onventional tools of diplomacy usually have not helped end conflicts because they don鈥檛 alter the calculations of those fueling war and committing atrocities,鈥 Prendergast said in a statement.

鈥淕iven the current profitability of conflict, new efforts must center on how to make war more costly than peace. The objective of The Sentry is to follow the money and deny those war profiteers the proceeds from their crimes.鈥

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