South Sudan’s healthcare system faces significant challenges, particularly in rural areas where access to clinical services is limited and costly. Many South Sudanese turn to traditional healers who use herbal medicines and spiritual methods due to a lack of…
RVI publishes books, research reports, research papers, briefings and meeting reports in a range of formats. Publications cover policy, research, arts, culture and local knowledge in the countries of eastern and central Africa. Research publications—books, reports and papers—are peer-reviewed. Some RVI publications are also available in French and/or Arabic.
The RVI is a signatory of the Budapest Open Access Initiative (2001); all publications are free for download in PDF format under Creative Commons licences. The views expressed in books and reports published by the RVI are those of the authors, not the Institute.
SEARCH
PUBLICATION TYPE
LANGUAGE
REGION
COUNTRY
RELIGIOUS POLARIZATION IN ETHIOPIA &THE POLITICAL ECONOMY OF RESOURCES IN PERIPHERIES The Peace Research Facility (PRF) in partnership with Jigjiga University, held a two-day public forum on 20th and 21st February 2023 to discuss research findings on: The Knowledge…
- By Abdirizak Mursal Mohamed
- Download
In this blog, Abdirzak Mursal Mohamed examines the nexus between climate change impacts and land conflicts among pastoral communities in Saaxmaygaag, Puntland. By Abdirizak Mursal Mohamed Introduction This blog examines the nexus between climate change impacts and land conflicts among pastoral communities…
- By Marlin John Serefino
- Download
This blog explores traditional narratives of South Sudanese on climate change, their lived experiences, as well as perceptions on appropriate responses to the impacts of climate change. Introduction This blog is about traditionally oriented perceptions of climate change in Juba…
- By Maketh Deng
- Download
In this blog, Maketh traces the roots of intercommunal conflicts in Lakes State, South Sudan to the legacies of war, dowry demands and climate change, and subsequently calls for reconciliation processes and skills training in order to mitigate the…
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Cyclone Sagar is arguably the most devastating climate-related crisis to have hit Somaliland in contemporary history. Dominant literature to date lays the emphasis on recurring droughts in the region, since drought is the most prevalent natural hazard….
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This paper delves into the realm of climate change through an exploration of the Somali poetic drama of Hasan Ganey, focusing specifically on the Calamities are the Best Educators in the Globe drama, performed in 1982 by…
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY In Sudan and Ethiopia, official militaries are currently fighting against paramilitaries and non-state militias that, previously, had been important battlefield allies. The ongoing violence does not reflect a breakdown in the political order. Rather, these conflicts are…
INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE FOR CLIMATE CHANGE PREDICTION AND ADAPTATION AMONG PASTORALISTS IN DHAGAXBUUR DISTRICT OF THE SOMALI REGION, ETHIOPIA EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This paper explores how indigenous climate change prediction mechanisms help climate change adaptation among Somali pastoralists in Dhagaxbuur district…
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Putting good governance into effect in the nascent state of South Sudan has proven to be a nightmare, largely due to the presence of recalcitrant public institutions where public affairs and resources are unethically executed, undermining other…
Recent Publications

The Political Economy of Coffee in the Jimma–Ilu Aba Bora–Buno Bedele Belt, Oromia Region
October 5, 2026
The findings of this study reveal a number of critical insights about the political economy of coffee in the Jimma–Ilu Aba Bora–Buno Bedele coffee belt. The coffee economy is shaped by a small number of influential actors, including state institutions,

Beyond the Beans: The Political Economy of Coffee in Ethiopia
September 29, 2026
A synthesis of three case studies in the Sidama–Gedeo–Guji, Kaffa–Bench-Sheko–Sheka and Jimma–Buno Bedele–Ilu Aba Bora belts SUMMARY The Ethiopia Peace Research Facility This report was written for the Ethiopia Peace Research Facility as part of its Knowledge for Peace series

The Political Economy of Coffee in the Sidama–Gedeo–Guji Belt, Southern Ethiopia
September 4, 2026
This report is part of a wider research project on the political economy of coffee in Ethiopia in the context of the political transition since 2018. It focuses on the Sidama–Gedeo–Guji coffee belt in southern Ethiopia, aiming to understand the