Sudan Peace Fund

September 20, 2002 - October 2005

For centuries Sudan has suffered from intercommunal fighting. Most recently civil war between the predominantly Muslim north and the predominantly Christian and animist south has caused significant displacement of communities and eroded traditional methods for managing conflict. The civil war has also spilled over into south-south conflicts as communities cope with depleting natural resources, declining livelihood bases, marauding militia groups, and clashes between displaced and host communities. Many traditional methods of governance and arbitration that once kept inter-ethnic and communal disputes in check have been severely weakened.

Varying degrees of conflict can be found throughout southern Sudan, ranging from deeply rooted structural issues embedded in attitudes, systems and beliefs, to conflict arising from proximate sources of tension, to flareups resulting from unexpected causes. Areas along the southern border with Uganda, for example, tend to be relatively stable, with conflict largely due to the presence of internally displaced persons, while areas to the north west tend to exhibit sudden and violent flare-ups owing to incursions of the war.

Many efforts at reconciliation in the south-to-south peace building effort of the past five years have commenced with resolution of highly personal grievances—such as the restitution of stolen cattle by one person to another—which allowed communities to understand that solutions are possible. Other efforts have tackled economic issues through, for example, encouraging "peace markets" at which previously warring tribes learn to appreciate the net benefit of trade. Increasingly, reconciliation efforts are becoming more sophisticated based on the accretion of direct experience and observation. Communities are encouraged to diagnose the evolution and/or root causes of conflict through community mapping and other techniques, thereby attaining compromises. In some instances, efforts at reconciliation target particular community members more likely to be interested in peace and stability, such as women or youth, to encourage them to become catalysts of change.

Pact's approach

In late 2002 USAID launched a new program, the Sudan Peace Fund Program, to reinforce and expand the number of zones of stability currently found in Western Equatoria, southern Bahr el Ghazal, and parts of the Upper Nile, and to extend their reach in other marginalized, opposition-controlled areas of the country. The program supports an improved environment for peace through grass-roots reconciliation, consolidation of grass-roots peace building, and delivery of peace dividends to reinforce progress towards peace. Underlying each of these efforts is capacity building to minimize risk to participants and to generate programmatic impact.

Pact's approach to program implementation entails enhancing:

• the ability of local communities to plan and manage activities that build peace
• the ability of local organizations to assist communities in implementing peace-building plans
• the ability of civil society and faith-based networks in building, consolidating and safeguarding peace.

The program contains six distinct components. The first component—the design phase—sets the stage for subsequent program implementation. Consultative stakeholder meetings, conflict mapping, and the development of standards for program engagement will result in a general plan of action to govern program activities through the first year. The other components—continuous identification and mapping of entry points; community-based dialogue, facilitation and mediation; rapid response interventions; consolidation of peace at the grass-roots level; and consolidation of peace at the subnational/regional level—comprise the range of interventions to be pursued over the life of the program. Documentation of program activities and accomplishments will help establish an historical perspective or basis for judging impact and progress over time, as well as allow for the identification of best practices in peace building.

Interim results

Bahr el Ghazal

• SPF, in close collaboration with USAID, supported the Yirol community meeting where SPLM/A Chairman Dr. John Garang de Mabior briefed the community on the peace protocols. The meeting gave the communities a better understanding of the peace process and protocols and anticipated future challenges in development and social reconstruction. Critical issues on local-level governance and peace were discussed and a detailed plan of action for Pact-supported mobile courts was endorsed. The SPLM leadership also reinforced the achievements of the program's Pankar Rapid Response in supporting local peace and good governance initiatives, which have helped to reduce conflict among people in the Lakes and Mvolo subregions.
• The Rumbek Community Peace and Development Conference brought together 500 participants, including 150 women, youth (including young girls) from cattle camps, chiefs, civil authorities, three Rumbek County commissioners, one commissioner from Cuiebet County, and participants from Khartoum. The peace meeting allowed participants to analyze the conflict with the Agar community as well as Agar conflicts with their neighbors. Final recommendations included, among others, the Agar community rebuilding relations with their neighbors, giving an opportunity for the community to elect their leaders, and an appeal to the community to desist from forced marriages.
• The Bongo/Dinka Peace Meeting facilitated a dialogue between the agrarian Bongo community and seasonal Dinka pastoralists, who have historically encroached on Bongo lands. Organized by the New Sudan Council of Churches (NSCC), the event was designed to provide an opportunity to analyze and resolve resource and land-based conflicts. Anticipated results include the return of Bongo IDPs and participation of Bongo in governance institutions.
• The Bahr el Ghazal Youth and Development Association (BYDA) General Assembly meeting was a combination of an annual general meeting, training for new board members, and a board meeting. The meeting enabled BYDA to enhance its organizational development and strengthen its internal governance, which will reinforce more effective program implementation. During the meeting, members elected a new chair, deputy chair and board of directors, as the current board's term had expired, and reviewed roles and responsibilities for each. In addition, the board drafted a new organizational constitution.

• The Lopit Buya Rapid Reponse Initiative brought together over 240 members of the Lopit, Pari Otuho, and Buya communities. The initiative realized several key achievements, including the first visit by the Buya in 37 years to Lopit, reconciliation between warring communities, and establishment of an enabling environment for the resumption of trade between the communities. As a follow-on to the rapid response initiative, dissemination and feedback meetings were held in the Buya community in Chawa, Kuduli, Kirenge and Kali areas in December 2004.
• Pact-supported local partners Losolia Rehabilitation and Development Association (LRDA) and Christian Development Services (CDS) facilitated Toposa-Didinga Mediation Meetings, held in Budi and Kapoeta counties. The dialogues resulted in the development of a joint action plan and a number of follow-on meetings. The subsequent community-wide meetings drew 160 elders, opinion leaders, and representatives of youth and women's groups who reviewed past peace initiatives, addressed current issues of conflict, and discussed measures to allow the two communities to peacefully coexist and share natural resources.
• The Jonglei Association for Relief, Rehabilitation and Development and the Joint Integration Return and Rehabilitation Support Team, with Pact support, organized the Peace and Reconciliation Conference to facilitate the Return of Bor internally displace persons (IDPs) camps to Bor Area. This conference brought together government of Sudan and SPLM/A representatives of Moro, Mundari, and Bor ethnic groups and resolved that the Bor Dinka with their cattle and all other possessions would be allowed free and unimpeded passage through designated safe corridors across Mundari land, Jonglei and Bahr el Jebel. Authorities agreed to facilitate the crossing of Bor IDPs by providing transport and stopping taxation of the IDPs. Conference participants selected a joint committee tasked to disseminate the resolutions and recommendations and monitor their implementation. The joint committee also issued a communiqué detailing a summary of key recommendations.

• The African Centre for Human Advocacy, with support from Pact, coordinated the Gajiok/Gaguang Peace and Reconciliation Meeting. Several hundred delegates assembled in Mading, Luakping County, to address violent conflicts between the Gajiok and Gaguang clans of Nuer. The community resolved to revive and strengthen traditional methods to promote peace and address conflict; bolster civil, military, and law enforcement authorities; station SPLA/police along clan and sub-clan borders; return stolen cattle; disarm civilians; and train peace committees.
• Mabaan and Nuer Longochuk Peace Conference was organized by the Mabaan Relief and Development Organisation and attended by 215 people. The conference aimed to promote peaceful co-existence among the Maban and Nuer Longochuk people and resolve Mabaan internal differences and promote harmony. Participants resolved to arrest and prosecute culprits, seek compensation for unintentional killing and seek the death penalty for those found to have intentionally killed.
• Pact supported the Joint Conflict Prevention and Reconciliation Mission between Lou/Dinka Hol and Gawaar in Upper Nile. This response followed a conflict that started in the toic (grazing) areas that resulted in the death of 49 people. The reconciliation team visited the Gawaar and Dinka Hol in their toic areas and requested them not to retaliate. The team then went to the Lou side and requested that they not plan another attack. The Luo then organized an 18-man peace delegation from Uror to go to Lou toic to convince the White Army not to plan any more attacks. The delegates comprised chiefs, bunams, local authority, youth, and representatives from a women's association.

• Pact supported the Nuba Women Strategic Planning Workshop held in Kauda, Nuba Mountains. Over 40 participants from different women's groups and representatives of NGOs operating in Nuba attended the meeting, which brought women leaders together to discuss the implementation of resolutions of the December 2003 Nuba Regional Women's Conference and develop a clear strategic plan for women's programs in Nuba for the first three years of the interim period. The workshop prepared a strategic plan.
• In partnership with local authorities, Pact held meetings with numerous groups in the Nazila IDP camp in Kurmuk North County of Southern Blue Nile to assess the challenges to peace, stability and recovery in the community. During discussions with civil society, women's and youth groups, IDPs and traditional leaders, constraints such as lack of food, education and jobs, insecurity, poor water and sanitation, and the spread of disease were identified. The community welcomed the Sudan Peace Fund's efforts and its support for upcoming efforts to build peace, reconcile differences, and improve livelihoods.

• The Peace Education for Women Leaders in Aweils meeting was attended by 40 women representatives drawn from all five Aweil counties. During the meeting, the women were taken through the historical background of the Sudan and the role of women in the struggle. The six peace protocols were also disseminated, and the women participants were trained on leadership, conflict resolution, and peace building methodologies (including people-to-people peace building), and the role of communication in peace building. The meeting resulted in five county action plans.