Lasanod is located on the border between the Republic of Somaliland and Somalia’s federal state of Puntland. Now under the administrative control of Somaliland, the city is contested— sometimes violently— between the two polities, which are both products 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.
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The Sudan-Eritrea-Ethiopia border region has long been a place of deep interconnection. Historically, collaboration across ethno-linguistic and religious divides allowed communities to develop life-sustaining complementary strategies for utilizing the region’s natural resources. These traditional patterns of human-environment interaction both…
Since around 2015, the importance of the Gulf states, particularly Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Qatar, in the affairs of countries in the Horn of Africa has been growing. At the same time, Turkey, which made…
Since around 2015, the importance of the Gulf states, particularly Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Qatar, in the affair of countries in the Horn of Africa has been growing. At the same time, Turkey, which…
In the Horn of Africa there is a dynamic interplay between land and sea that has shaped political, economic and social relationships. Historical and contemporary instances of piracy in the Western Indian Ocean, at different times, precipitated a securitization of…
This briefing is an output of the Diaspora Humanitarianism in Complex Crises (D-Hum) project, a partnership between the Danish Institute for International Studies, Institute for Development Studies, University of Nairobi, Rako Research and Communication Centre, and the Rift Valley Institute. Key…
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The World Bank’s Somalia Urbanization Review aims to improve our understanding of the complex issues pertaining to urbanization in Somalia and identifies priority interventions that can help better manage it. There is wide consensus within the government as well…
17-kii Sebteembar, hoggaanka Dowladda Federaalka iyo Dowlad-goboleedyada xubnaha ka ah Dowladda Federaalka waxay ku heshiiyeen qaab doorasho dadban oo loogu talagalay doorashooyinka soo socda ee dalka. Iyadoo laga ambaqaadayo doodo taxane ah oo Dhuusamareeb ka qabsoomay bilaha Luulyo iyo…
On 17 September, the leaders of the Federal Government of Somalia (FGS) and all five Federal Member States (FMS) agreed on an indirect electoral model for the country’s upcoming polls. Building on a series of discussions in Dhusamareb in…
The Somaliland Peace and Development Journal (SPDJ) is an annual peer-reviewed academic journal from the Institute for Peace and Conflict Studies, University of Hargeysa. The Journal began during a collaboration between RVI, the University of Hargeysa and Puntland State University…
Recent Publications
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
Legally Informal: Women, conflict and cross-border trade in the Mandera tri-border area
March 28, 2025
In the Mandera triangle—a pastoralist region encompassing the point at which the borders of Kenya, Ethiopia and Somalia meet—the reality of local and cross-border trade often diverges widely from official state policies of control. This disjunction has created a grey