Understanding South Sudan Today
On Tuesday 3 May 2016, the Rift Valley Forum hosted a talk by Peter Biar Ajak on Understanding South Sudan Today. Drawing on his PhD research, his talk examined the history of the SPLM/A to explain the situation in South Sudan today. Currently pursuing a PhD in Politics and International Studies at Cambridge University, Peter […]
Hargeysa International Book Fair 2016
The ninth Hargeysa International Book Fair (HIBF) was held in the Gulaid Park Hotel Hall on 23 July 2016.The theme of the book fair this year was ‘Leadership’. The theme coincided with the 25 anniversary of the self-declaration of the Somaliland Republic. The opening day of the book fair was greeted with great enthusiasm and […]
Livelihoods in South Sudan
In July 2011, South Sudan gained independence and became the world’s newest country. A few years after the celebrations, the country has experienced renewed conflict and political strife that have claimed countless lives and displaced many. This has had a dramatic impact on livelihoods in South Sudan. On 10 October 2016, the Rift Valley Forum […]
Aid and Authoritarianism in Africa
In 2013, almost half of Africa’s top aid recipients were ruled by authoritarian regimes. Many international donors such as USAID, DFID, the World Bank and the European Commission have had their policies entangled with the agendas of the ruling elites. Development policies are thus shaped with a view to maintain the status quo, compromising the rights […]
Famine in Somalia: Competing Imperatives, Collective Failures, 2011-12
On Wednesday 19 October 2016, the Rift Valley Forum and the University of Hargeysa’s Institute for Peace and Conflict Studies (IPCS) hosted a public forum to discuss the key findings of the book, Famine in Somalia: Competing Imperatives, Collective Failures, 2011-12. The book, written by Dan Maxwell and Nisar Majid, is based on extensive research […]
RVI Juba Lectures 2016
The fifth Rift Valley Institute Juba Lecture Series took place over the week of 20 June, under the title: What can civil society do? The role of civil society in the political transition. Since 2010, the RVI has organised an annual series of public lectures in Juba. These lectures are designed to promote public discussion of […]
Dadaab: City of Thorns
To charity workers, Dadaab refugee camp is a humanitarian crisis. To the Kenyan government it is an economic burden and a ‘breeding ground for terrorists’. To the Western media, it is a dangerous no-go area. But to its half a million residents seeking sanctuary, it is their last resort. In May, the Kenyan government announced […]
Hargeysa Launch of Going on Tahriib & We Kissed the Ground
In 2015, more than one million people arrived in Europe via the Mediterranean. In Somaliland and Puntland, accounts of young people embarking on the hazardous journey via Ethiopia, Sudan and Libya, are widespread. Among the Somalis, these young people are said to be ‘going on tahriib’. Unlike previous migrations, tahriib is unique in that it is largely a […]
If We Ever Get Out of Here
Many people fleeing conflicts hope that refugee camps would be a temporary home while they await peace and stability to return to their home countries. Unfortunately, many have ended up staying in the camps for decades. On Thursday 1 December 2016, the Rift Valley Forum and the Church of Sweden screened the documentary, If we ever […]
London launch of Dividing Communities 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 examines […]