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Publications

Publications

The Institute 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. Blogs can be read here.

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. Print versions of most books and reports, and digital versions in Kindle and other specialist formats, are available for sale from Amazon and other online retailers, and from selected bookstores. Proceeds from sales are allocated to the Institute's Scholarship Fund, which provides support to researchers and activists from eastern and central Africa.

The views expressed in books and reports published by the RVI are those of the authors, not the Institute.

2014

The Rift Valley Institute's Rural to urban mobility project aims to better understand the dynamics of rural to urban migration and the ways in which this phenomenon impacts the social and infrastructural fabric of cities in East Africa. It is conducted within the framework of the Research and Evidence Facility on Migration in the Horn of Africa, supported by the EU Trust Fund. It is…

2014
Key points

Money Transfer Operators (MTOs) have played a vital role in the Somali economy for many years, functioning effectively despite chronic conflict and absence of government.

With the global tendency towards tighter regulation of financial flows, intended to counter crime and terrorism, Somali MTOs are finding it increasing difficult to retain direct access to banking…

2014
Introduction

On 10 January 2014, three weeks after the South Sudan crisis began—as peace talks stalled in Addis Ababa and the death toll continued to grow—representatives of South Sudanese civil society met in Nairobi to discuss the crisis, its historical roots, and the possibility of peace. The event was held under the auspices of the Sudd Institute, the South Sudan Law Society (SSLS), the…

2013
Key points

The RVI Usalama Project addresses the lack of detailed information about Congolese armed groups.

The Institute has published fourteen reports and briefings on armed groups operating in the eastern DRC (including the Congolese national army, the FARDC).

The documented failures of specific armed groups are more revealing than their successes.

2013
Points clés

Le Projet Usalama de l’Institut de la Vallée du Rift (RVI) a pour mission de pallier l’absence d’informations détaillées sur les groupes armés congolais.

L’Institut a publié 14 rapports et documents d’information sur les groupes armés qui opèrent dans l’est de la RDC (y compris sur l’armée nationale congolaise, les FARDC).

Les échecs des différents…

2013

The Usalama Project is a gold mine of accessible information on Congolese armed groups. Its studies are, and will be, of great use for security sector reform in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

EMMANUEL KABANGELE, NATIONAL COORDINATOR, RRSSJ
 

The Report

The final report of the Usalama Project presents the conclusions of 18-month field research on the…

2013

Le rapport final du Projet Usalama présente les conclusions de ses travaux de recherche des 18 derniers mois en trois parties: une analyse de la mobilisation armée, axée sur la région du Nord- et du Sud-Kivu; un examen des FARDC; et un bilan des initiatives passées et actuelles dans les domaines de la démobilisation et de la réforme de l’armée. Écrit par Jason Stearns, Judith Verweijen and…

2013
Key points

IGAD’s engagement with Somalia has helped to sustain international interest in Somali issues.

IGAD is perceived by many Somalis as representing the interests of Kenya and Ethiopia rather than Somalia.

Somalis would like to see more practical assistance from IGAD.

Somalis are increasingly questioning AMISOM’s military engagement in Somalia.…

2013

Ce rapport Usalama par Koen Vlassenroot décrit la dynamique historique à l’origine des mouvements armés au Sud-Kivu, en mettant plus précisément l’accent sur la période située avant la Première Guerre du Congo. La province du Sud-Kivu se trouve au coeur du conflit qui sévit dans l’est de la RDC. Depuis la fin de la Deuxième Guerre du Congo (1998–2003), le risque que cette province ne…

2013

This Usalama report by Koen Vlassenroot outlines the historical dynamics behind the armed movements in South Kivu, focusing on the period before and leading up to the First Congo War. The province of South Kivu has been at the heart of the conflict in the eastern DRC. Since the end of the Second Congo War (1998–2003), the province’s potential to cause broader regional destabilization has…