As the six-year transitional period defined in the Comprehensive Peace Agreement draws to a close, Sudan is sliding into another crisis. The Heinrich Böll Foundation, which has been working both with civil society partners in Sudan and on Sudan-related issues in the German context for several years, has put together this publication in order to reflect on such scenarios.

The large-scale violence that erupted in Kenya after the controversial 27th December 2007 general elections was no single major explosion. Different parts of the country were affected in very different ways. While many parts of Kenya were burning, the Coast Province remained relatively calm, despite the longstanding history of socio-political tension and even violent conflict in this part of the country.

The destruction of tropical forests contributes 15-20% to the greenhouse gas emissions generated by human activity. Initiatives to reduce deforestation and forest degradation (REDD) are widely considered vital to mitigate climate change. However, they carry considerable risks, if not designed properly.

Tanzania’s mining sector has grown rapidly in recent years. This study provides background information on the industry, its impacts, and the legal and political environment of its operation. It argues for a joint effort of all stakeholders to overcome typical challenges of the extractive resource industry in Africa, in order to make Tanzania the “best performer in her class”.

A culture of violence has emerged in the Horn of Africa, based on traditions of origin, a fixation with territory, a feudal vision of the exercise of power and an "absolutist" concept of conflict. "In Quest for a Culture of Peace" proposes a holistic approach in addressing the region's conflicts.

Civil society has become a critical player in African politics. In Kenya, civil society underwent many changes after the transition from KANU to NARC in 2002, and it was severely affected by crisis after the December 2007 elections.

In the Shadow of Death: My Trauma, My Experience is a public testimony of what numerous women went through during the post-election violence that engulfed Kenya immediately after the Electoral Commission of Kenya announced the results of the hotly-contested presidential polls of the December 2007 General Election.

Despite much rhetoric about gender equity, the role of women in Kenyan electoral politics remains dismally low – even by standards of the East African region. The sixth edition of "Perspectives on Gender Discourse", emerging from discussions held at HBS Nairobi's "Gender Forum" in the run-up to the last general elections, takes a closer look at women’s political practice in Kenya from diverse perspectives.

Kenya has embraced a variety of sub-sovereign financing schemes; the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) is only the most well-known among them. Beyond CDF explores innovative ideas about how to employ the CDF and other sub-sovereign financing instruments to provide solutions to the various manifestations of social exclusion, poverty and inequality.

A maize shortage has led to an unprecedented price hike in Kenya; government has declared the food insecurity a national disaster. Many Kenyans attribute food price inflation to mismanagement and corruption. But to what extent does it result from actual scarcity? Do food crop producers - many of them small farmers - profit from high food prices?