Two new staff members have joined the Rift Valley Institute. Faria Mohamud takes up the post of financial officer in the Institute's UK office. Born in Afgoye, Somalia, Faria was educated in the Netherlands and lives in London. Fergus Nicoll has been appointed RVI Publications and PR Manager. He previously worked for the BBC World Service and BBC World TV and is the author of a number of historical works on Sudan, including The Sword of the Prophet: The Mahdi of Sudan and the Death of General Gordon.