The war that erupted in Sudan on 15th April 2023 between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and Rapid Support Force (RSF) resulted in widespread destruction of national infrastructures, including the educational and research systems. Based on the personal experiences of the authors, this paper discussed the impact of the war on science and community of scientists who remained in Sudan during the war, including the resultant challenges, opportunities offered, and future perspectives. Clearly, the war brought about unquantifiable devastation on professional and personal lives of scientists; internal and external displacement and separation of scientists, colleagues, and families; loss of research and teaching resources; loss of jobs and financial instability; and host of negative psychological, emotional and social issues. Given that more than 10.4 million Sudanese were forcibly displaced, among them scientists, the educational system has been hampered. Available data indicate that in Khartoum State, 39% of governmental and 73% of non-governmental universities were occupied by RSF, whereas it was 10% of governmental and 8% of non-governmental universities in Gezira state. This contrasts with 3% of governmental and 5% of non-governmental university in South Darfur. Some universities and colleges were partially or completely damaged, while in some it was not possible to determine the damage. This has led to complete shutdown of the universities, forcing students to find expensive alternative ways to continue their education or abandon it altogether. Scientists and science in Sudan faced many challenges, which are difficult to overcome. While efforts to restore infrastructure and physical capital will be challenging, the social, psychological, and emotional devastation might be even more intricate. Revitalizing policies and international efforts are needed to support the recovery of the entire educational systems and research infrastructures, as well as the wellbeing of scientists.

The ongoing war in Sudan, which erupted in April 2023, has had devastating effects on the country’s scientific community, leading to widespread destruction of academic and research institutions, mass displacement of scientists, and severe disruptions in research activities. Significant damages have been inflicted on approximately 100 universities with a complete halt in academic and research activities. This paper explored the fate of Sudanese scientists who were displaced by the war and are taking refuge in other countries, focusing on the impact, experiences, challenges and prospects amidst the conflict. Through interviews with several displaced Sudanese scientists, the study reveals both the hardships endured and the resilience exhibited by these individuals. With displacement, multiple Sudanese scientists have lost the economic stability, resources for conducting research along with access to the common social network and community structure that facilitated their work in Sudan. Notably, mental health issues, loss of stability and resources, adaptability to new contexts and funding disruption represents some of the major difficulties for Sudanese scientists. In contrast, the conflict has unexpectedly provided opportunities of growth for some Sudanese scientists. Forced displacement has increased exposure to new cultural and social contexts that have helped foster research perspectives and innovation for some scientists. Despite hardships, this adversity has strengthened resilience and opened new possibilities for advancing scientific research. As the conflict continues, the pressure on the academic sector intensifies, further jeopardizing Sudan's research capabilities. Addressing these issues is crucial for mitigating long-term damage to Sudan's academic and scientific infrastructure.

MARY MUBIANA1,2⁎, CHISONI MUMBA1, DOREEN SITALI1, MULENGA MALATA1,3, ISABEL NAMFUKWE LUAMBIA4, JOHN BWALYA MUMA1

BACKGROUND: Current invention in the field of biotechnology includes research into the probiotic potentials of enzyme-producing bacteria species. OBJECTIVE: This study evaluated the probiotic ability of cellulolytic Bacillus subtilis SBMP4 isolated from waste dump site. METHODS: Isolated Bacillus species was screened for cellulolytic ability on carboxyl methylcellulose agar (CMCA), and hydrolysis efficiency was calculated. Probiotic ability of cellulolytic Bacillus species was carried out as follows: pathogenic potentials, bacteriocin producing ability, antibiotic susceptibility testing, gastric acid, and bile tolerance. Molecular identification was done by means of 16S rRNA gene sequencing, blast search analysis and phylogenetic analysis. RESULTS: Zone of clearance of 30 ± 2.08 mm on CMCA with hydrolysis efficiency of 114 % depicted the isolate’s cellulolytic potential. Bacillus subtilis SBMP4 showed γ-hemolytic phenotype with negative lecithinase activity. Antibacterial activity of bacteriocin observed against Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923 reference culture, had maximum inhibition zone of 14±1.0 mm at 72 hour of incubation. Substantial susceptibility towards 9 out of 10 commonly used antibiotics further depicted the isolate’s probiotic ability. Bacillus subtilis SBMP4 exhibited good gastric acid tolerance (pH 2.5) of 5.857 Log cycle/ml and good tolerance to 5 % and 10 % bile salt concentrations with 6.134 and 6.301 Log cycle/ml of viable bacteria cells. Molecular identification of the selected bacteria species revealed it to be Bacillus subtilis SBMP4 with RefSeq accession number NR_118383, showing maximum sequence similarity of 98%. CONCLUSION: Cellulolytic Bacillus subtilis SBMP4 possesses good probiotic ability and has the potentials of being applied as additive in livestock feeding to enhance overall productivity. KEYWORDS: Cellulolytic, Probiotic, CelA gene, Bacteriocin, Bacillus subtilis

BACKGROUND: Migrants' remittances are critical in financing the economies of Africa and the West African region, in addition to FDI and ODA. It is also a significant driver of financial inclusion. OBJECTIVE: This paper assessed the moderating role of institutional quality on migrants' remittances and financial inclusion in West Africa during 2004–2023. METHODS: Secondary data was used for this study, sourced from the World Bank’s World Development Indicators (WDI), the World Governance Indicator (WGI), and the IMF’s Financial Access Survey (FAS), 2023. This study employed the Panel Fixed Effects (PFE) estimation technique, which accounts for Driscoll and Kraay's (1998) standard error. To ensure the robustness of the findings, the analysis was augmented with the utilisation of feasible generalised least squares (FGLS). RESULTS: There was an overall positive impact of institutional quality on financial inclusion (FI), at a significant rate of 120.8%, accounting for deposit-taking microfinance institutions, thereby highlighting that institutions play a crucial part in improving financial inclusion in West Africa. Also, the moderating effect of institutional quality had a more positive impact on microfinance institutions than commercial banks, at a significant rate of 16.2%. CONCLUSION: In summary, attention should be given to establishing more microfinance institutions as they serve as a better remittance distribution channel when compared to commercial banks, emphasising enhancing quality in financial services delivery. This also encourages more people to be financially included, thereby making better economic use of the remittance received in West Africa.