South Sudan Transition Initiative

June 2003 - March 2006

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.

Public opinion in south Sudan has become gradually more optimistic since the signing of the Peace Protocols in May 2004. At the same time, ambiguities in the protocols have generated concern regarding the intent and ability of each side to deliver on high expectations. From a programming perspective, the signing of the protocols initiated a shift in priorities. While access to information has always been a central element of the program, there is now pressure to disseminate information even more quickly. In order to meet the demand of Sudanese NGOs and communities, Pact has quickly rolled out a peace protocol dissemination strategy through local partners.

Pact's approach

This two-year USAID-funded small grants program focuses on promoting and supporting good governance, local-level peace initiatives, and the development of civil society. The program supports the transition from a culture of war to one of peace and good governance.

The primary objectives of the program are as follows:

• To restore peace among communities through support for local dialogue
• To support the emergence of an accountable and transparent civil authority
• To assist in the development of an empowered and active civil society
• To increase access to quality, independent information

The program focuses on building constituencies for peace through the following activities:

• Sponsoring inter-ethnic and intra-ethnic dialogue between and within communities to mitigate conflict and strengthen sustainable peace
• Working through local NGOs/CBOs to strengthen their abilities to serve civil society needs
• Strengthening good governance models and structures at the community level to support the provision and management of public good and services
• Increasing access to information for civil society members and organizations.

Grants target critical transition issues in south 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. The program also promotes the establishment of independent south Sudan media as a means of increasing access to balanced, reliable, and easily accessible information, which is fundamental to building support for any peace agreement.

Interim results

• Intervention to resolve the chronic conflict between Dinka Bor internally displaced persons (IDPs) and existing communities in Mundri County, and to relocate the most vulnerable IDPs onward towards Bor County, through a grant to the Joint Integration Return and Rehabilitation Support Team (JIRRST).
• Resolution of a conflict between the GoS-supported South Sudan Liberation Movement (SSLM), the SPLM, and the White Army in Akobo Town in Eastern Upper Nile, resulting in the signing of the Akobo Peace Declaration, through a grant to the Upper Nile Peace and Development Foundation.
• Progress toward the development of a Local Governance Framework to serve as the basis for accountable, transparent, and participatory local government, through support to the SPLM?s Local Governance Technical Team via a grant to the British Council
• Strengthening of the Sudan Mirror newspaper as southern Sudan?s foremost print media outlet and source of independent information, and extensive training of 22 other journalists in partnership with the African Council for Community Education.
• Dissemination and discussion of the peace protocols in the Transition Areas to crowds of thousands, in preparation for negotiation of the final Comprehensive Peace Agreement