The Red Sea, Gulf of Aden and East African sub-aerial rifts have developed since Paleogene times during the removal of the Arabian and Somalian plates from Africa. The geological record of the region exhibits active extensional systems ranging from the early stages of breakup to sea-floor spreading, and therefore the early development of young passive margins. A key breakthrough in the last decade is recognition of the intimate linkage between extensional deformation and magmatism during rupture of the continents. However, the nature of this relationship at all depths through the lithosphere and its evolution through time remain controversial. We invite contributions from observational studies using geodesy, seismology, structural geology and petrology, as well as modelling studies that constrain the length, time scales and mechanisms of mechanical deformation as well as magma transport and emplacement in continental and incipient oceanic rifts. We also invite contributions from studies that address linkages between mantle dynamics, lithospheric extension and magmatism.