Susanne and Tamer participated in a conference (from 18-20 October 2023) at the University of Bergen, marking the 60 year anniversary of academic collaboration between Bergen and Sudan, in particular the University of Khartoum.  This collaboration is famous among all researchers working in Sudan.

The conference addressed a range of issues, from revolution and activism to war and its impact on displacement and humanitarian assistance, to heritage and the role of archival research, as well as charting the historical evolution of the relationship.  Susanne was part of a panel on humanitarian aid, where she discussed what we have learnt from more than 40 years of food aid. This included its role as a political tool, the frequent exclusion of vulnerable populations, and how food aid became part of the country’s extractive political economy.  With the failure of the international community to provide aid, the role of local committees and the diaspora was a key area of discussion, as well as the need to monitor who else is moving into that space – but for political or business reasons.