USAID/OTI Sudan Field Report
April 2005
Program Description
The USAID Office of Transition Initiatives (OTI) program in Sudan works to link ongoing peace processes, at the local and national level, to initiatives that promote increased participation of southern Sudanese in their governing structures. The four main objectives of the OTI southern Sudan program are to: support the emergence of responsive, effective and inclusive civil authorities; restore the conditions of peace within and among communities through support of opportunities for peaceful dialogue; assist in the emergence of an empowered and active civil society; and, increase access to quality, independent information. In Darfur, OTI has provided some limited assistance to activities promoting the protection of civilians caught up in the crisis.
OTI's implementing partners are PACT, Educational Development Center (EDC), and Development Alternatives, Inc (DAI). PACT manages the Southern Sudan Transition Initiative (SSTI), which is a two-year small grants program promoting and supporting good governance, local-level peace initiatives, the development of civil society and an informative and balanced media. EDC has established the Sudan Radio Service, which is a short-wave radio station that transmits six hours of programming daily on current events, civic education, health, and culture in nine languages. DAI is implementing phase II of the small grants program that will focus on critical transition needs in the aftermath of the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) between the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) and the Government of Sudan (GoS).
Country Situation
State Department Official Travels to Sudan – Deputy Secretary of State Robert Zoellick traveled to Darfur and southern Sudan in early April. Zoellick met SPLM leader John Garang in Rumbek and urged quick movement on implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement with the Sudanese government. Garang appealed for $30 million in urgent U.S. government assistance for construction of roads, schools, and a communications system. Zoellick also traveled to the troubled Darfur region where he pressed the Sudanese government to bring an end to the conflict.
Southern Sudanese Factions Pledge Support to CPA – Dozens of representatives from various southern Sudanese political factions gathered in Nairobi at a three-day conference on the North-South peace deal. The groups, a majority of which have traditionally been opposed to the SPLM, agreed in principle to support the peace deal and pledged to work towards reconciliation. Additional resolutions passed by the participants include creation of a committee to draft a constitution for the South and support for multiparty democracy. The SPLM accused the Sudanese government of forcing a number of key Khartoum-backed militia leaders to boycott the gathering.
Donor Countries Pledge Over $4.5 billion to Sudan – At a pledging conference in Norway, representatives from 60 countries pledged over $4.5 billion to address Sudan's humanitarian and reconstruction needs for the next two years. The United States' delegation, led by Deputy Secretary of State Robert Zoellick, pledged $853 million for this year with a promise to ask lawmakers for an additional $900 million in 2006.
Security Issues Continue in Darfur – While the mass violence that has characterized the Darfur conflict over the last couple of years has seemingly subsided, insecurity and sporadic attacks continue. Additionally, displaced communities are repeatedly targeted in and outside camps in the form of harassment, beatings, arrests, rapes and looting of livestock and personal belongings. The international actors in Darfur are still in emergency phase and to date civil society's capacity and political space to operate is quite constricted. That said, some groups are providing some relief and support to the thousands of internally displaced and victims of the conflict and their host communities, both in partnership with the UN and INGOs and independently. As the African Union continues to expand its presence, both by troop number and field locations, the hope is that the security situation will improve.
New Interim Constitution Under Development –
On April 30th in Khartoum, the National Commission for the Revision of the Constitution (NCRC) began the process of drafting an Interim constitution. The NCRC has 60 members and 120 alternates. The Commission will move on to Rumbek to continue the process. Once the new constitution is approved by the parliament and SPLM's general assembly, the new government should be formed by July 9th.
USAID/OTI Highlights
A. Narrative Summary
There was an air of optimism in southern Sudan in April due to the successful pledging conference by donors in Norway. Sudanese communities are now more hopeful that with substantive support from the international community, they will begin to see the dividends of peace. The OTI Sudan program has factored in these communities expectations in developing its new strategy as demonstrated by the inception of the DAI small grants program.
In April, 19 grants were cleared that focused on community infrastructure and support to local governance. A majority of the grant locations are in the Transition Areas of Southern Blue Nile and Nuba Mountains, some of the least developed and fragile zones in southern Sudan. Basic social services such as schools and health care are minimal if not none existent. The success of local authorities' ability to address the issues of good governance and provision of services is critical to garnering continued support for the peace agreement. OTI awarded several grants in Nuba to provide transportation support and targeted training for civil administrators. In Southern Blue Nile, OTI is providing gap-filling support to the local authority's plans to rapidly expand the number of English-language schools in the area. Grants were awarded to rehabilitate the Kirmuk Girls School and to provide latrines to eight elementary schools.
OTI awarded a grant to the Maridi Students' Association to renovate a community resource center that will provide a common space for training courses, basic office resources and a platform to promote educational and sports activities for youth. In Tali Post, OTI awarded a grant to the local authorities to drill three boreholes that will decrease the likelihood of conflict by providing more water points and increased access for the community. Tali Post has been heavily hit by a continuous shortage of water due to the constant population growth created by the influx of returnees. Additional grants awarded in April include a community road repair project that will bring together two conflicting groups in Terekeka County and a road safety/human rights promotion training for the citizens of Rumbek.
In Northern Sudan, OTI met with over 20 different Sudanese organizations and academics during the month of April. Focusing initially on the tenuous situation in Darfur, OTI looks to support projects that assist in mitigating the severe effects of abuse and protection violations. After trips to South and North Darfur and extensive discussions with IDPs and local organizations in Kalma IDP camp and Nyala and Zam Zam IDP camps in El Fashir, OTI has identified some potential local partners with which to work.
OTI is also an integrated member of USAID's DART (Disaster Assistance Response Team) for Darfur. In this capacity, OTI encourages coordination among international organizations and donors to protect vulnerable people from violence and abuse. OTI also helps to identify and support local efforts to mitigation conflict.
B. Grants Activity Summary *
| Promote emergence of responsive, effective and inclusive civil authorities. |
7 |
$169,200 |
46 |
$1,714,846 |
| Provide opportunities for peaceful dialogue within and among communities. |
1 |
$ 31,860 |
93 |
$2,577,436 |
| Promote the emergence of an empowered and an active civil society. |
11 |
$149,000 |
43 |
$ 940,899 |
| Increase availability of quality, independent information. |
|
|
46 |
$4,242,497 |
| Protect vulnerable populations from abuse. |
|
|
4 |
$1,497,122 |
| TOTAL |
19 |
$350,060 |
232 |
$10,972,800 |
*This chart includes small grants issued under OTI's contract with Pact and DAI, as well as other larger program activities such as OTI's cooperative agreement with Education Development Center to implement the Sudan Radio Service.
C. Indicators of Success
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| Women attending the ACWA meetings. |
Due to its proximity to the border with the North, the Aweils region in northern Bahr El Ghazal has been at the crossroads of conflict and instability for many years. The Aweil Community Welfare Agency (ACWA) has been the key provider of social services in the region and has received support from OTI to carry out peace-building and community infrastructure projects, and a recently held meeting to review its mission and action plan for the next year. Feedback from participants, which included ACWA members, local authorities and the general public, indicated a clear positive impact of the general assembly in the community. A majority of those interviewed by the OTI monitoring and evaluation specialist said the meetings were run democratically and everyone was encouraged to participate. The ACWA members affirmed their mandate to continue working with the community.
NEXT STEPS/IMMEDIATE PRIORITIES
- Prepare for OTI strategic session with the Sudan Field Office and team-building sessions with implementing partners.
- Ensure continued build-up of DAI team in Nairobi, Khartoum and the field sites across Sudan.
For further information, please contact:
In Washington, D.C: Nhelly Saleh, Sudan Program Manager, Tel: (202) 712-0795, nsaleh@usaid.gov
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