The Story of the Sudan Open Archive
The Sudan Open Archive (http://www.sudanarchive.net) is free resource developed by the Rift Valley Institute. It provides online and offline access to digital versions of thousands of books and documents about Sudan and South Sudan. From its origins in a shipping container in Lokichokio in northern Kenya, the Sudan Archive has come to include historical and […]
Continuities and Change in Somalia
The Nairobi Forum and the British Institute in Eastern Africa co-hosted the launch of a special Somalia edition of the Journal of Eastern African Studies on 19 April. The meeting, entitled ‘Continuities and change: Social, political and economic dynamics in Somalia since 1991’, examined the strengths and weaknesses of hybrid political structures, the roles of local authorities, […]
The Kafia Kingi Enclave
When South Sudan became a separate state in 2011, its northern boundary with the Republic of Sudan became an international border, the longest and most contentious in the region. At the westernmost extremity of Sudan, Kafia Kingi is a key meeting point between the two countries. This mineral-rich area is currently under the administration of […]
Pastoralism and Development in Africa
On 29 April 2013, the Hon. Mohamed Elmi (MP, Tarbaj) presented a paper at thce Nairobi Forum on Lessons from the Ministry of Northern Kenya, reflecting on the work of his former ministry in supporting pastoralism and development in Kenya’s arid and semi arid lands. The former minister was one of several speakers at a […]
Federalism in the history of South Sudanese political thought
‘In South Sudan there is no system of governance so popular—yet so little understood—as the federal system. Historically the demand for federation with North Sudan was seen as the way to keep Sudan united, and the absence of such a system was held up as one of the causes of the long wars between North […]
Nuruddin Farah remembers Chinua Achebe
The life of the Nigerian writer Chinua Achebe (1930-2013) was celebrated on 6 May 2014 at Bard College, New York, where Achebe taught for many years. There were spoken tributes from Nigerian author and art historian Teju Cole, from historian Myra Armstead, and from anthropologists Yuka Suzuki and John Ryle. The Somali writer Nuruddin Farah […]
LAPSSET: A Transformative Project or a Pipe Dream?
Key points The LAPSSET project has transformative potential for the neglected north of Kenya and for East African regional integration. A major challenge is safeguarding the environment, and the rights and livelihoods of those whose lands the project will cross. Each element of the project carries a significant economic and social cost. Engagement with communities […]
Horn of Africa Course 2016
Scope of the course The Horn of Africa Course covers Ethiopia, the Somali regions, Eritrea, Djibouti, and northern Kenya. The social and political histories of each country in the Horn of Africa are examined to contextualise the continuities and transformations that are taking place across the region. A variety of disciplinary perspectives and new research […]
Sudan and South Sudan Course 2016
The 2016 RVI Sudan and South Sudan Field Course will take stock of the world that the Comprehensive Peace Agreement made in the tenth year after it was signed. The democratic transformation promised by the CPA has not taken root in either country. In Sudan the ruling National Congress Party (NCP) has further entrenched its position […]
جيب كفيا قنجيالبشر والسياسة والتاريخ في محور الحدود الشمالية – الجنوبية لغرب السودان
تُعتبر كفيا قنجي الواقع على الطرف الغربي الأقصى للسودان نقطة إلتقاء رئيسية بين دارفور وجنوب البلاد؛ وتخضع هذه المنطقة الغنية بالمعادن حالياً لإدارة جنوب دارفور، لكن من المتوقع إعادتها إلى مقاطعة راجا في جنوب السودان بموجب بنود اتفاقية السلام الشامل لعام 2005. ويحكي هذا التقرير الثاني من سلسلة تقارير الأراضي المتنازع عليها، المستند إلى بحث […]