Dr Matthew Sterling Benson is a social and economic historian of Africa in the Conflict and Civicness Research Group (CCRG) at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) where he is Research Fellow and Sudans Research Director, leading research on both Sudan and South Sudan and affiliate staff in LSE’s Department of Economic History. Matthew’s research interests include the changing nature of war, state and armed group finance, and state formation in the 21st century. Matthew is currently writing a book manuscript examining the history of revenue and different forms of often coercive rule in both Sudans. He holds a PhD in History and an MA in Social and Economic History from Durham University, an MA in Governance and Development from the IDS at Sussex, and a BA in International Relations from Tufts University.