Credit: Shutterstock/Homo Cosmicos Lead researchers: Harry Cross, Peter Chonka, Ahmed Musa
Partner: Rift Valley Institute (RVI)
Duration: January 2026 – October 2026
Countries: Sudan, Somalia, Somaliland
Digital sovereignty – understood as the ability of states to govern and develop connective infrastructure – has become central to longstanding political competition in Somalia and Somaliland. In Sudan, the collapse of central authority has turned digital infrastructure into a strategic instrument of war and a decisive factor shaping rival political futures.
Against this backdrop, the project will deliver rigorous research into how digital innovation hubs influence the enactment and contestation of state power across the region. Anticipated impacts include strengthening policymakers’ understanding of emerging digital infrastructures and e-governance systems in the Horn and illuminating their implications for state authority in conflict affected contexts.
For more information regarding this research, contact [email protected]