Democracy and Governance in Sudan
The Development Challenge: The Government of Sudan (GOS) and the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) have signed a comprehensive peace agreement after more than two years of negotiations. The agreement provides an end to the civil war, including fundamental changes in governance through power-sharing, wealth-sharing, security arrangements, and a formal ceasefire. It is hoped that these changes will provide a framework for resolving conflicts in other unstable areas of Sudan, most notably Darfur and Eastern Sudan. The beginning of this new era will entail a New Sudan model of governing with autonomy for a southern entity within the context of a national unity government during the six-year interim period provided for in the peace agreement. The key to stability in Sudan is the faithful implementation of this historic agreement by both parties.
The war has been the central focus of political life throughout Sudan for more than 20 years. It has caused the loss of two million lives and left more than four million displaced. Sudan has an extremely high external debt burden of $21 billion. Communities outside the northern riverine states remain marginalized from economic opportunity and political decision-making. Destruction and neglect have resulted in essentially no physical infrastructure and institutional capacity in southern Sudan. Low agricultural production and inaccessible markets are additional legacies from more than two decades of conflict and development neglect. The per capita gross national income in southern Sudan is estimated to be less than $90 per year, with 90% of the population earning less than a dollar a day.
Estimated social indicators for South Sudan include a high population growth of almost 3% per year with a female population of greater than 60%; life expectancy around 42 years of age; infant mortality at 150 per 1,000 births and severe malnutrition of around 21% among children under 5. HIV/AIDS is an emerging threat, and malaria and diarrhea are the biggest causes of child mortality. Children have limited access to basic education and an estimated 80% of all adults, especially women, are unable to read.
Some 420,000 Sudanese refugees reside in formal refugee camps in Uganda, Kenya, Ethiopia, Eritrea and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Large numbers of people, including the diaspora are expected to return to their home communities this year. Sustainability of the peace agreement will depend in part on the ability of the SPLM to manage the war-to-peace transition. The SPLM will need to change from a guerilla movement to a political organization to effectively create and participate in an environment of formal institutional arrangements for democratic governance. Donor community contributions and proceeds from oil production are expected to increase revenues to southern Sudan. This influx of funds could cause economic shocks and overwhelm the existing and extremely fragile new institutions and structures.
Throughout the years of negotiation, the United States has been at the forefront of encouraging the parties to negotiate a durable peace agreement that will safeguard human rights and religious tolerance; end state sponsorship of international terrorism; and ensure unimpeded access to deliver humanitarian and development assistance. The United States will continue to pressure the parties to implement the comprehensive peace agreement signed on January 9, 2005. A peaceful Sudan is important to the United States to promote regional stability in the volatile horn of Africa.
The USAID Program: The program demonstrates how USAID will respond to the great challenges and many opportunities in assisting the South Sudanese in their transition from conflict to peace. All program activities and expected results are based on the assumption that the peace agreement will be implemented. USAID's goal is to establish a foundation for a just and durable peace with broad-based participation of the Sudanese people. While the peace program focuses on short-term conflict mitigation, and humanitarian relief and rehabilitation, the four sector programs lay the foundation for long term recovery by focusing on more responsive and participatory governance; improved equitable access to quality education; increased use of health, water and sanitation services and practices; and establishing a foundation for economic recovery. With Sudan making a major historic transition from war to peace, the FY 2005 funds will be used to further peace reconciliation efforts and build economic and social capacities of institutions and people, and to develop infrastructure. USAID will need funds with the flexibility to take advantage of new program opportunities in FY 2006. In FY 2006, the new Transition Initiatives (TI) account will provide resources and operational flexibility for USAID to assist Sudan's transition out of civil war to peace. TI funds will quickly respond to opportunities that the peace presents to build systems of governance and institutions, stabilize pockets of instability, and assist returning IDPs. As implementation of the peace process and USAID's strategy progresses, USAID will also encourage public-private partnerships, when appropriate and within the context of applicable sanctions, to leverage international and local private resources to increase efficiency and enhance total assistance to Sudan. USAID and its nongovernmental implementing partners will work with appropriate southern Sudanese authorities. In the former opposition-administered areas, USAID coordinates activities with the SPLM and will begin working with the new Government of Southern Sudan (GOSS) once it is established. In former GOS-administered areas, coordination of humanitarian assistance is with the GOS-Humanitarian Affairs Commission, within the legal parameters of U.S. sanctions against Sudan. USAID will also coordinate with other appropriate entities identified in the comprehensive agreement as soon as they become active.
(Excerpted from the 2006 Congressional Budget Justification for Sudan)
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