What future for democracy in Somaliland?
Key points The stakes for the November 2012 local council elections were exceedingly high, with the winning three parties eligible to contest the parliamentary and presidential elections for the next ten years. The results were highly contested but mostly peaceful. The elections marked another important step in Somaliland’s process of democratization, but clan rather than […]
Managing development and security in north-eastern Kenya
Key points In north-eastern Kenya, MPs have taken a positive role in managing and resolving local conflicts. These conflicts have multiple causes, including a spill-over from other conflicts in Somalia and Ethiopia, competition over natural resources, and youth unemployment. Kenya’s military intervention in Somalia has led to an increase in insecurity in the north east. […]
Remittance transfers to Somalia
Key points Remittances from abroad are a vital lifeline for households in Somalia. 40% rely on them to meet food security needs. The majority of remittances to Somalia, Puntland and Somaliland are through licensed money transfer operators (MTOs) rather than informal money transfers. Barclays Bank is the last of the global banks to offer accounts […]
IGAD and Somalia
Key points IGAD’s engagement with Somalia has helped to sustain international interest in Somali issues. IGAD is perceived by many Somalis as representing the interests of Kenya and Ethiopia rather than Somalia. Somalis would like to see more practical assistance from IGAD. Somalis are increasingly questioning AMISOM’s military engagement in Somalia. There is a widespread […]
Forging Jubaland: Community perspectives on federalism, governance and reconciliation
Since August 2012, Somalia has embarked upon a turbulent process of forming federal states. In the wake of past political processes, which had limited success and were often criticized as elite driven and divorced from popular needs, the hope is that the current endeavour will not repeat past mistakes. On Friday 22 April 2016, the […]
Beats of the Antonov
On Tuesday 3 May 2016, the Rift Valley Forum screened a film, Beats of the Antonov, by Hajooj Kuka, followed by a discussion. Sudan has been in an almost constant state of civil war since it achieved independence in 1956 and divided into two sovereign states in 2011. On the border between South Sudan and Sudan, […]
Understanding Contemporary Ethiopia
On Friday 15 January 2016, the Rift Valley Forum hosted Gérard Prunier for the Nairobi launch of the book Understanding Contemporary Ethiopia: Monarchy, Revolution and the Legacy of Meles Zenawi, co-edited by Prunier and Éloi Ficquet. This anthology of essays by noted scholars of Ethiopia’s culture, history, politics, and society seeks to transcend the clichés […]
Following Mobile Money in Somaliland
On Thursday 5 May 2016, the Rift Valley Forum launched the research paper, Following Mobile Money in Somaliland, which examines the development of Zaad, Somaliland’s first mobile money platform. Launched in 2009, Zaad rapidly become a key feature of Somaliland’s financial infrastructure that had previously been dominated by remittance companies. The report charts the rapid growth […]
Boundary disputes and land governance in South Sudan and northern Uganda
In September 2014, a conflict erupted between South Sudanese and Ugandans in the borderlands of Kajokeji County, South Sudan and Moyo District, Uganda. Several people were killed, many more injured and thousands displaced. On 13 June 2016, the Rift Valley Forum launched the Rift Valley Institute publication, Dividing Communities in South Sudan and Northern Uganda, which […]
Reconciliation in the Sudans
In 2005, the Government of Sudan and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) signed the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) that ended two decades of civil war that claimed countless lives and displaced millions. Besides the international mediators, Sudanese churches were instrumental in preparing the ground for the peace agreement, just as they had been in the 1972 Addis Ababa Peace Agreement. On […]