Focusing on the Ethiopia-Sudan borderlands, this article aims at unpacking the dynamics underlying agricultural commodity production in the area. One of the main findings is the reliance on migrant labour and cycle of exploitation, enabled by a number of dynamics: land grabs, landlessness, conflict, climate change, etc. These cycles of exploitation are not only found in migrant or seasonal migrant workers, with families and local communities also subject to it. As this article uncovers the…

This article explores the intersection between water, energy, and food system in South Sudan, by investigating the shift in environmental narratives from pre-2011 South Sudan to modern day. The paper argues that the drivers of the food insecurity in the country could be partly linked to the disconnect between the past environmental narratives and today’s aspiration shaped by political and economic power dynamics. Finally, the paper provides insights on how the water – energy -…

Omar al-Bashir’s removal from power will have long-term effects on Sudan’s political future. Even though domestic considerations forced Bashir’s downfall, his extensive involvement in regional issues means his departure will resonate beyond the confines of Sudan’s borders. This report explores the regional implications of Bashir’s removal and the subsequent role of external actors in Sudan’s internal affairs. Download

In April 2019, Sudanese protestors in Khartoum, the capital and other major towns, managed to push their country’s longest reigning dictator, Omer Hassen al-Bashir, out of power after 30 years of a brutal dictatorship. The fall of al-Bashir was a cause for jubilation amongst crowds across the country, and true to the history of popular uprisings that Sudan has come to be known for. This protest, as in previous ones, succeeded in removing al-Bashir because…

This Issue Brief examines the history of Sudan’s militia strategy and the role of militias in the country’s armed conflicts, notably in Darfur and the Two Areas of South Kordofan and Blue Nile. It discusses the use of para-military forces and militias in Sudan from the 1980s until the present day, including their alleged roles in resource exploitation. It then examines the long-term economic, political, and social costs of the militia strategy for the Sudanese…

The aim of this paper is to investigate the processes of citizenship changes for South Sudanese citizens who were previously formally considered to be Sudanese citizens and have remained residents of Khartoum’s shantytowns since South Sudan gained independence in 2011. The paper argues that there are currently two types of citizenship for the Southern Sudanese communities in Khartoum – legal citizenship and ‘community’ citizenship – and that this has allowed considerable numbers of people who…

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