Dr Adan Yusuf Abokor (‘Dr Adan’ to his colleagues and friends) who died last week in Turkey, was a remarkable man.

Over the past five years of RVI's South Sudan Customary Authorities project, the Institute has built a strong level of trust with customary authorities across the country. Continued engagement with chiefs is essential, particularly in finding ways to support and present the views and interests of their communities at the national level, and to…

The Somali Dialogue Platform provides a neutral space for political dialogue on contentious issues in Somalia’s political settlement, such as designing and implementing election systems and clarifying the federal settlement. As the programme enters it second phase, RVI is looking to recruit for four roles, which offer exciting opportunities to…

Applications are invited from eligible candidates for a doctoral studentship on the history of constitution-making in Sudan since the 1950s. This is a Collaborative Doctoral Award, offered in partnership with the Research Analysts Department of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and the Rift Valley Institute.

In April 2020 many of RVI’s South Sudanese researchers decided to return to their hometowns to avoid what they believed would be a large outbreak in the country’s capital, Juba. Following discussions with friends and family, the researchers proposed that RVI work with them to conduct a programme of messaging and awareness-raising on COVID-19.…

The Rift Valley Institute is seeking a highly experienced and dynamic educator to design and manage a professional development programme for early career researchers in eastern and central Africa. The position will be based in one of the countries in eastern and central Africa where RVI is operational, with frequent travel within the region.

The Queen Elizabeth II Academy at Chatham House seeks individuals who are dynamic, creative, driven and excited to contribute to Chatham House's research teams to analyse key global and national challenges and develop policy solutions.

The South Sudan National Archives contains thousands of files, a rich historical record documenting the colonial period, and the early period of Sudan’s independence. One such file, numbered ‘EP 11 B 2’ is a collection of compensation claims, which were made by individuals whose homes were destroyed by the Sudan Armed Forces on 8 July 1965 in…

Somaliland reported its first case of Covid-19 in March, yet financial support from the international community and the diaspora has been largely absent. When diaspora assistance has been mobilized, it has been through less traditional mechanisms: younger, educated activists using online platforms.

This blog reflects on archival research into the construction of the grave of King Gbudwe in Yambio, carried out in the South Sudan National Archives. This is supplemented with recent photographs of the grave in Yambio, shared with me by Atem el-Fatih. Also included is some more recent (but very limited) information about the role of grave in…