USAID/OTI Sudan Field Report
July 2003
Program Description
Since 1983, an estimated two million Sudanese have died as a result of the protracted conflict, drought, and famine. In the past year, 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. High-level U.S. government engagement is credited with playing a significant role in this latter effort.
OTI plans to link ongoing southern Sudanese peace processes and peace-building efforts to initiatives that promote increased participation of southern Sudanese in their governing structures. OTI's program focuses on critical transition issues in southern Sudan, such as increasing access to balanced information, promoting good governance, providing conflict-resolution expertise in areas vulnerable to violence, and supporting people-to-people peace processes. OTI supports activities in the following areas:
- Independent Southern Sudan Media: Given the high levels of illiteracy in southern Sudan, radio is the most effective vehicle for relaying information about the peace process, general news, and updates on humanitarian and development programming. The OTI-funded Educational Development Center (EDC) is working to establish a local-language radio service for southern Sudan.
- Conflict Resolution Mechanism and Tangible Peace Dividends: Proposed OTI activities in this area include timely transport of respected local and international conflict resolution experts to vulnerable areas and bringing communities together so they can realize the tangible benefits of local level peace agreements.
- Good Governance: Initial OTI efforts to improve governance and strengthen the relationship between civil authorities and citizens will increase the independence and effectiveness of the judiciary and expand support to local non-governmental organizations.
COUNTRY SITUATION
On July 8, a Sudanese airliner crashed after the pilot reported technical problems just minutes after take-off from Port Sudan in eastern Sudan. One hundred fifteen passengers died in the crash; the sole survivor was a three-year old child. Sudan's Foreign Minister, Osman Ismail, blamed the crash on U.S. sanctions, claiming that they prevent the importation of necessary spare parts for planes. The U.S. State Department refuted this allegation, pointing out that the sanctions include an exemption on spare parts for civilian airliners. By month's end, a team of U.S. investigators, including officials from the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board, had arrived in Sudan to review the circumstances of the crash.
Throughout the month, fighting raged in Darfur in western Sudan, despite efforts to negotiate a cease-fire between the GOS and the rebel Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM). There were conflicting reports about the number of SLM and GOS soldiers killed, but reliable sources indicated that casualties were numerous. Efforts to conclude a cease-fire agreement between the rebels and GOS failed and government negotiators were called back to Khartoum.
Human rights violations in GOS-controlled areas raised concerns throughout July. Early in the month, government authorities arrested several key opposition activists, including prominent lawyer Ghazi Suleiman, head of the Sudanese Human Rights Group. Along with several other leading opposition figures, Suleiman was to present the Khartoum Declaration at a press conference on the day of his arrest. The Declaration affirms the on-going peace negotiations between the SPLM and GOS, and calls for the removal of sharia law in Khartoum. Suleiman was released two weeks after his arrest and, while no press conference has taken place to announce it, the Declaration has been circulated publicly.
Government authorities also cracked down on independent media, ordering the close of the Khartoum newspaper, Monitor and suspending an edition of the independent newspaper, Al-Sahafa. In addition, riot police stormed the University of Juba's Khartoum campus to break up a demonstration for student union elections. On July 16, Amnesty International issued a report, Sudan: Empty Promises? Human Rights Violations in Government-controlled Areas, which criticizes the GOS and its security forces for their failure to respect international human rights standards. The report also asserts that questions of justice and human rights are not being adequately addressed in the current peace talks.
Special Envoy for Sudan, Senator John Danforth, visited the region in July as part of the U.S. effort to bolster the peace process. Senator Danforth met with Sudanese President Al-Bashir, SPLM leader John Garang, Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) and Government of Kenya officials, and the Foreign Minister of Egypt. In each of these meetings, Senator Danforth reiterated the U.S. commitment to the negotiations and the need to secure a comprehensive settlement to the long-running civil war.
The GOS-SPLM negotiations in the IGAD-led peace process experienced setbacks during July. The sixth round of talks ended abruptly on July 12, when the GOS rejected draft proposals for a final political agreement. The status of sharia law in Khartoum and whether the SPLA will be integrated into the GOS armed forces to create a single national military continue as key unresolved issues. The parties are scheduled to resume the talks on August 10.
Despite these setbacks, the GOS and SPLM did work together constructively in July. With facilitation from the U.S. government, representatives of the GOS and SPLM met at the World Bank in Washington. At this meeting the two sides assessed needs, developed priorities, and drew up action plans for the pre-interim period following a peace agreement. The parties established a Joint Planning Mechanism secretariat, which will become operational in August in Nairobi and be facilitated by the UN. A priority focus for the joint secretariat will be to develop plans to deal with the large number of internally displaced persons in Sudan.
Humanitarian relief NGOs reported continuing problems for southern Sudanese with access to food and healthcare. World Vision International (WVI) described a deterioration in the food security situation in Bahr El-Ghazal, which required the establishment of two emergency supplementary feeding clinics. A survey performed by the Irish NGO, Goal, in the rebel-controlled Abyei County found that no health services were available for some 32,000 people, forcing those in need to walk for two or three days to reach a healthcare facility.
In late July, flooding in Kassala state in northeastern Sudan destroyed homes, displaced thousands, and killed four people. Heavy rains caused the Gash River to flood its banks, knocking out electricity and water systems, submerging buildings, and forcing the evacuation of tens of thousands of people. GOS media reported that the flooding was the worst experienced in the Kassala in more than 70 years. The area hardest hit was Kassala city, with about 65% of its 502,000 inhabitants (including some 300,000 internally displaced persons) affected by the disaster. The GOS has dispatched planeloads of food and goods to the affected areas, while international donors, including the U.S., have mobilized resources to provide humanitarian relief to flood victims.
PROGRAMMING HIGHLIGHTS
Narrative Summary
In June, EDC temporarily moved its shortwave radio service production to its Washington D.C. office because of continuing difficulties with establishing operations in Nairobi. The Radio Programming Coordinator spent July finishing the outfitting of studio space in Washington. EDC also identified and recruited D.C.-based Sudanese interpreters and journalists to read news reports and develop radio content. Those recruited included speakers of nine languages spoken in Sudan, such as Dinka, Nuer, Moro, Bari, Zande, English, Juba-Arabic, and Arabic. EDC intends to hire full-time Sudanese staff once the service is located fully in Nairobi.
On July 30, EDC began transmission of the shortwave radio service, limiting the content to Sudanese music for the initial broadcasts as it identified its audience and refined the production schedule. The service can be heard throughout Sudan, Monday through Friday, from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. (old Sudan time, GMT +2) on 17,630 khz (shortwave) and then again from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m. on 17,660 khz . News and information programming in the languages mentioned above will be added in early August. Additional broadcast hours will be added in October 2003 and EDC hopes to be up to six hours of programming per day by January 2004. Reports about the reception indicate that the service has been heard as far south as Madagascar.
In Nairobi, EDC staff worked on finding studio space and engaged with government officials on securing the appropriate registrations needed for the radio service to become fully operational in Kenya. EDC added a new Washington-based Program Director to the project, to ensure effective communication and coordination between the D.C. and field operations.
With OTI funding, Christian Aid (CA) continued its work with the judicial sector in southern Sudan. CA has procured spare tires and parts, motorbikes, and fuel to assist judges in moving about the vast areas of southern Sudan to hear and resolve disputes. During July, SPLM Chairman John Garang signed into effect 26 new laws for southern Sudan. The new laws cover a range of subjects including financial institutions, insurance, the judiciary, immigration, policing, wildlife conservation, and NGOs. OTI allocated funds out of the CA grant to enable the SPLM Secretary of Legal Affairs (SOLA) to help cover the cost of finalizing the new laws.
Having finalized its new contract with OTI for the issuance of small grants, Pact began ramping up its operations for the Sudan program. Pact staff attended training sessions at OTI/Washington on establishing a database to track the small grants. Additional training of Kenya-based staff will take place in August. Pact's Grants Manager for the OTI program was deployed to Nairobi in July and quickly set to work identifying initial activities for small grant funding. Pact is also working on establishing field offices in Sudan, with possible sites to be located in Kapoeta and Rumbek.
OTI's Country Representative departed for Nairobi in July, establishing the Office's first permanent presence for Sudan at the USAID/REDSO Mission. She began hiring staff and engaging with OTI's implementing partners.
NEXT STEPS/IMMEDIATE PRIORITIES
- In August, EDC will begin transmission of more news and information on the radio service. OTI is also working closely with EDC and USAID/REDSO to clear bureaucratic obstacles to full operation of the radio service in Nairobi.
- · OTI will continue to work closely with Pact to identify critical initial opportunities for grant funding. OTI's Country Representative will complete office set-up at USAID/REDSO and hire necessary staff.
- Along with implementing partners, EDC, Pact, and Christian Aid, OTI is developing a four-day strategic planning session to be held in Nairobi in September. The retreat will further refine OTI's Sudan program goal and objectives for its first year of activities and create programmatic links between the various implementing partners.
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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