EVENT | Nairobi Forum: A Somali Spring?
The election of Hassan Sheikh Mohamud as President of Somalia on 10 September was a major event in the region, bringing to an end a deeply flawed, eight-year political transition. The election of an active member of civil society who has consistently worked to end Somalia’s conflict has both electrified Somalis and surprised and relieved […]
Somaliland: The Future for Democracy is Positive – Somalilanders Speak
Since it declared independence in 1991, Somaliland has worked to develop a system of multi-party democracy. The result is a relatively complex but home-grown set of political arrangements, providing concessions to and incorporating different interest groups. This was the unanimous summation of various stakeholders on the 27th June at the British Institute in Eastern Africa; […]
Nuruddin Farah in conversation with Binyavanga Wainaina
On 18 April, the Nairobi Forum, in partnership with Kwani Trust, hosted an evening with renowned Somali author Nuruddin Farah. Nuruddin is winner of the Neustadt International Prize for literature and the Lettre Ulysses Award, and has been nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature several times. His body of work includes two trilogies, Variations on the […]
RVI Nairobi Forum’s ‘Remittance transfers to Somalia’ event on China Central TV
An introduction to Somalia
On 18-19 February 2013, RVI and the Somalia NGO Consortium co-hosted a two-day 'Introduction to Somalia' course at the Lukenya Getaway in Kenya. RVI managed the first day's event, providing a brief introduction to the history, politics, and culture of Somalia. On the second day, the NGO Consortium provided practical advice for NGOs operating in Somalia. […]
News from RVI
Debate Continues Over Uganda Army Role in South Sudan Conflict
Speakers at a Nairobi forum sponsored by the Rift Valley Institute expressed concern for the future of South Sudan following a ceasefire agreement brokered in Addis Ababa late last week. Participants also raised issues concerning the presence of Ugandan forces in the conflict. The negotiations were held by the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), the […]
Civil Society Seeks Citizens’ Representation In Peace Talks
On Friday 10 January leading South Sudanese civil society institutions came together to discuss the current situation [in South Sudan]… According to David Deng, Director of Research at the South Sudan Law Society, human rights violations in the past and the lack of accountability create room for further violations if the perpetrators are not punished… He said […]
Great Lakes Course 2012
The third Great Lakes Course was held in Bujumbura, Burundi from 7 to 13 July. The Director of Studies was Jason Stearns, also director of RVI’s Usalama Project and author of the acclaimed Dancing in the Glory of Monsters. The Deputy Director of Studies was Emily Paddon, Trudeau Scholar and Lecturer in International Relations at the University of […]
Livelihood concerns as Kenya kicks off regional infrastructure project
A report from IRIN, published in the Sunday Nation, on a meeting convened by the RVI Nairobi Forum to discuss plans for a Lamu Port and South Sudan-Ethiopia Transport Corridor. The LAPSSET project includes a port in Lamu, a 1,500km standard-gauge railway line from Lamu to Nakodok along the Kenya and South Sudan border, oil pipelines […]