We, the staff of the Rift Valley Institute, are extremely concerned about current events in Sudan, and for the lives of those affected by the conflict between the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which broke out across the country on 15 April.

The Institute was founded in Sudan in 2001 and, over more than twenty years, we have been closely engaged with developments in the country working with Sudanese researchers, academic institutions and civil society organizations. Our Sudan Handbook provides an authoritative and accessible introduction to Sudan written and edited by outstanding Sudanese and South Sudanese scholars and recognized international experts. More recent work includes research on the Juba Peace Agreement; analysis of the state of the political transition in February 2023; and work in the border regions between Sudan and Ethiopia.

In the coming weeks, RVI will be commissioning new research on the unfolding developments in Sudan, and hosting a series of public roundtables and panels to discuss what is happening, and what can be done to end the fighting and for the country to return to a civilian-led political transition.