Why calling for a ceasefire in South Sudan can be a bad idea
This article was written by RVI Fellow Aly Verjee. On 23 March, British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, speaking to the United Nations Security Council, declared: “There can be no real dialogue for as long as South Sudan is ravaged by fighting.” “All parties must respect an immediate cessation of hostilities,” he said. “As President, Salva […]
Sudan Studies Society Annual Symposium
The annual general meeting of the Sudan Studies Society of the United Kingdom took place in London at the School of Oriental and African Studies on 13 September. The event was held in association with the Royal African Society. The day-long programme featured a panel on South Sudan with speakers including RVI Fellows Douglas H. Johnson, the historian of South […]
A debate on federalism at Juba University
More than seven hundred people attended a lecture on federalism at Juba University on Saturday 5 July. The lecture was delivered by Rift Valley Institute Fellow Douglas H. Johnson and organised by RVI Fellow Luka Biong Deng, formerly Minister in the Office of the President. Dr Johnson’s talk was introduced by John Akec, Vice-Chancellor of […]
ALD panel session on South Sudan
The conflict in South Sudan has entered its fourth year and the situation continues to deteriorate for many desperate civilians. There is an urgent need for the citizens of the East African region to impress upon their leaders the urgency and unacceptability of the situation and to call them to action to end the suffering. […]
Britain, Sudan and the “Southern Policy”
Under the Anglo-Egyptian Condominium, the South of Sudan was treated very differently to the North. For Major-General Herbert Kitchener, the British assault in southern Sudan on September 2nd 1898 was an exercise in both conquest and revenge. 13 years after Britain’s Governor-General in Sudan had been killed in Khartoum, this latest operation had involved years […]
Sudan–the second time as tragic farce
This article was written by RVI Fellow Magdi El Gizouli. It was originally published on Africa is a Country and republished with permission from the author. For six years rebel forces in Sudan’s South Kordofan and Blue Nile states (the Two Areas) have been battling the Sudanese government. Round after round of negotiations mediated by the African Union (AU) […]
South Sudan: the diaspora of objects and the future of tradition
A Norman castle in the north-east of England may not seem an obvious place to discuss the cultural heritage of South Sudan. But the university library here—next door to Durham castle—is the location of the most significant archive of colonial-era documents outside Sudan and South Sudan. And in recent years Durham University has become a centre for research into Sudanese history, […]
South Sudan: Is Peace Possible?
Thousands have died and hundreds of thousands have been displaced as a result of the political crisis in South Sudan. Armed conflict continues as peace talks between government and opposition begin in Addis Ababa. READ THE MEETING REPORT Leading South Sudanese civil society institutions came together in Nairobi to sponsor discussion of the current […]
Oral history and customary authorities in South Sudan
The third phase of RVI’s South Sudan Customary Authorities Project, funded by the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA), is now underway. The project aims to deepen understanding of customary authorities’ role within, and with, their communities, and to amplify their voices. The work builds on previous phases of the project, activities and findings […]
Dutch Embassy team visit to the South Sudan National Archives
On Thursday 3 August, the full eighteen member Dutch Embassy national and international staff team in South Sudan visited the National Archives as part of their annual team outing. The Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports staff presented a summary of the development of the National Archives, its current situation and the ongoing work taking […]