This Usalama Report by Judith Verweijen analyses militarization in Uvira and how it shapes the interplay between local conflicts, governance and armed mobilization. Focussing on the Bafuliiru Chiefdom and the Ruzizi Plain Chiefdom, the report examines how armed forces…
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.
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The DRC has a bad reputation when it comes to gender equality and respect for women’s rights. Until now, the donor community and international media have mostly been focusing on sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) in the eastern part…
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. In Dividing Communities in South Sudan and…

- By Jeroen Cuvelier, Marie-Rose Bashwira
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La RDC a mauvaise réputation pour ce qui est de l’égalité de genre et du respect des droits des femmes. A ce jour, les bailleurs de fonds et les médias internationaux se sont focalisés sur les violences sexuelles et…

- By Elizabeth Mahiri
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Key points The Kenyan government lacks a Countering Violence Extremism (CVE) policy aimed at finding a long term solution to violent extremism. Successful CVE approaches could include the communities that have been overlooked in conventional approaches—women, families and their…
‘Xogta ku jirta warbixntu waa dhab iyo ‘xaqiiqo’…waxa jira wax badan oo arintan laga baranayo.’ SUCAAD IBRAAHIM, PROGRESSIO, SOOMAALILAAND ‘Daraasaddani waa mid gaar ah sababtuna waa su’aasha laga duulayo, waxana taa kasii muhiimsan, waa jiritaanka iyo muhiimadda wixii ka…
‘This study is in-depth, up-to-date and the first of its kind on a massive infrastructure development project in the region, examining its history, politics, evolution, the emergence of actors and interests and effects on the poor and marginalized. It…
‘The conference has put into perspective what stabilization means in South Sudan as opposed to what it means in Somalia and in the DRC. And putting my own insights on stabilization alongside those of the speakers here has given…
‘Waa sheeko ka mid ah kuwii ugu xiisaha badnaa ee aan la kulmo, oo ka warramaysa waayoaragnimada qurbaawi Soomaali ah, oo ka raadsanaya meel kale, nolol aayatiin dhaanta tan aan xasilloonayn ee geyiga Soomaalida. Akhriskeedu waxa uu ii noqdey…
Land disputes are considered both key sources and perpetuating factors of conflict in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Over the years, scholars and practitioners have identified a number of critical land-related factors contributing to violence and…
Recent Publications

The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church in Post-2018 Ethiopia: Navigating church–state and inter-religious dynamics
April 4, 2025
This report examines the complex and shifting situation of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church (EOTC) in post-2018 Ethiopia, highlighting its struggle to maintain influence amid political, social and religious changes. In addition to examining both the current EOTC relationship with

Thinking about Borderlands: Observations and implications from XCEPT programme research
March 31, 2025
Do the ways in which policymakers and national governments view borderlands reflect how the communities living there experience them? Building on this, can a better understanding of the characteristics of borderlands help in promoting development, improving governance and making more

Digital Governance and Security in the Horn of Africa
March 28, 2025
While digital finance—including mobile money—has developed unevenly across Somalia, Ethiopia and Kenya, such technologies are nevertheless transforming everyday economic activities. In some cases, borderlands and cross-border financial flows are central to these digital developments and are driving further innovation. From