USAID/OTI Sudan Field Report May 2004
Program Description
Since 1983, an estimated two million Sudanese have died as a result of the protracted conflict, drought, and famine. Recently, however, several positive developments within Sudan have occurred, providing new opportunities to finally resolve Africa’s longest war and move the country toward a lasting peace. In addition to several successful local-level, people-to-people peace processes, the Government of Sudan (GOS) and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) appear to be on the verge of a peace agreement.
OTI’s work links ongoing peace processes to initiatives that promote increased participation of southern Sudanese in their governing structures. The OTI southern Sudan program has three main objectives: the strengthening of key processes, mechanisms, and institutions for responsible governance and civil society development; the increase in access to quality, independent information; and the promotion of processes, mechanisms, and institutions that promote peace and stability.
Country Situation
In late May, the Sudanese government and the SPLM signed the long awaited peace protocols in the Kenyan city of Naivasha. The breakthrough agreement outlines power-sharing arrangements and management of the disputed areas of Nuba Mountains, Southern Blue Nile and Abyei. At the late-night signing ceremony, both sides pledged to live up to the agreements and work towards building an enduring peace for Sudan.
With the previously-signed accords for revenue-sharing and the establishment of a six-year interim period of autonomy for the south, there is a sense of optimism in the region that the continent’s longest running war will come to an end. The two sides will meet again on June 22 to work out a ceasefire and implementation modalities that should culminate in the signing of a comprehensive peace agreement. There has already been a hint of the potential instability to come with the reported attacks by government-supported Sudanese militia on SPLM territories in Akobo and Nimne.
Meanwhile in Darfur, the armed Janjaweid militias continue their attacks on civilians in all three states. Continued clashes between the rebels and government soldiers have also been reported in the region. According to aid workers, access to refugees has improved although there are complaints that the Sudanese government continues to create obstacles including requirements for all aid to be disbursed through local non-governmental organizations. There may be a ray of hope with the May 28 agreement by parties to the conflict on the deployment of African Union (AU) cease-fire monitors in Darfur.
In the Yambio district of southern Sudan, the World Health Organization has reported the death of four people from the Ebola virus but has not issued any travel or trade restrictions. Health authorities have identified fifteen other cases of the hemorrhagic fever in the area and estimate 118 people came into contact with the confirmed cases.
USAID/OTI Highlights
A. Narrative Summary
Staff from the USAID Sudan Mission, OTI and PACT met for half-day session for a presentation on the progress of USAID-funded programs managed by PACT. The purpose of the meeting was to deepen USAID’s understanding of the role the PACT program is playing as a critical component in support of the transition process in Sudan. Further discussion centered around developing cohesion between USAID and critical partners when engaging with the SPLM on peace and governance matters.
The Sudan Radio Service (SRS) certainly had a lot of news to report this month. A team of SRS producers were at the Naivasha talks to provide timely coverage of the latest developments in the peace process. An SRS producer traveled to Mundri County to cover a socio-economic conference organized by PACT with assistance from USAID/OTI. The conference combined initiatives to promote peace among communities in conflict and the formulation of an integrated framework for community recovery and building.
According to feedback by listeners to SRS, there is still a great deal of confusion on the details of the Naivasha Accords. Accordingly, most of the programming for the first half of June will focus on exploring the specifics of the peace agreements. For example, one of the civic education programs, "The Road to Peace," will feature a comprehensive comparison between the 1972 Addis Ababa agreement (which ultimately failed) and the Naivasha Accords.
SRS also closely followed the Ebola outbreak in Yambio and is now airing sixty-second public service announcements in four languages on educating the community about the deadly fever and preventative measures. Officials from the UN were interviewed to brief the community on the spread of the disease.
The Educational Development Center, the agency implementing SRS, will shortly begin a promising partnership with USAID Sudan’s Education Program. The four-year $5,000,000 project will use SRS as a means to broadcast interactive radio instruction for southern Sudan. The distance-learning program plans to cover primary, secondary and adult learning by 2007. This joint effort between OTI and the Sudan Field Office Education department will provide for more sustainability and impact for OTI programs and will be treated as a pilot for more collaboration.
A website for SRS should be online by early June. Visitors to the site will be able to listen to the programs on demand in nine languages.
May programming included:
- On-the-scene coverage of the Naivasha Peace Talks
- Health programs related to the Ebola outbreak in Yambio
- Socio-economic conference in Mundri County
B. Grant Activity Summary – USAID/OTI Afghanistan
OTI PACT Southern Sudan Transition Initiatives small grants program has reached a total of $2,104,000 in expenditures, with May grants totaling $465,572. Small grants awarded support:
- Governance
- Provision of a senior governance specialist to mirror and advise the SPLM Local Governance Technical Team on the development of local governance laws. The grant also supports tours for the team’s members to study local governance initiatives in several east African countries.
- Capacity-building of civil administrations in the transition areas of Funj and Nuba to ensure transparency and good governance.
- Support of the Mundri Socio-Economic Conference, which brought together community members to discuss a comprehensive development strategy, including governance, private investment and civil society. This grassroots-led effort will promote dialogue and restore confidence and trust in a traditionally volatile area prone to intra-ethnic conflict.
- Peace
- Monitoring and follow up of Bor’s IDP cattle camps to support local efforts in mitigating intra-ethnic conflict. Representatives of Bor and Mundri communities formed a joint taskforce to examine the root causes of the conflict and develop mechanisms to prevent further flare-ups.
NEXT STEPS/IMMEDIATE PRIORITIES
- Work with EDC on developing an effective outreach plan for SRS aimed at creating awareness of this service in remote areas of Southern Sudan.
- Review Christian Aid proposal on rule of law, peace-building and governance.
- Sudan Field Office mini-retreat.
- Prepare for arrival of new OTI staff.
For further information, please contact:
In Washington, D.C: Bailey Hand, Sudan Program Manager, Tel: (202) 712-0795, bhand@usaid.gov
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