South Sudan : Sustained Peace for Development: Conflict Prevention and Peace-Building in South Sudan

After decades of civil war, the signing of Sudan's Comprehensive Peace Agreement in 2005 provided unprecedented opportunities for peace building and improving the humanitarian and development situation. However, a lack of peace dividends for conflict‐affected communities in border areas has perpetuated tensions based on resources.

An absence of social services and livelihood opportunities, and perceptions of isolation and marginalization all contribute to undermining durable peace in the border areas, where poverty rates are up to 90%. Continued armed fighting, pressures on grazing and water resources and struggles over land rights contribute to instability.

The Sustained Peace for Development programme was a three year, multi‐agency project whose primary aim was to promote peace building and effective conflict management in the border areas between Sudan and South Sudan by strengthening capacity in national peacebuilding institutions and increasing security and peace dividends for communities in the target areas.

The programme started implementation when Sudan was still one country, but split into two programmes following the separation of South Sudan in July 2011. Its specific goals were:

1. To improve partnerships and the use of conflict risk information at the state level to enhance capacity of peace building institutions, promoting solutions that are locally identified, promote social cohesion and are more effectively targeted; and
2. To promote recovery, reconciliation and reintegration at the community level by improving the delivery of basic services and enhancing economic opportunities.

Main achievements included:

• The programme worked on enhancing the capacity of relevant peace building institutions at the state level. At least five assessments on Warrap state were produced, training guidelines were developed and training of trainers activities on Conflict Mitigation were conducted for 37 key stakeholders.
• Various initiatives were carried out to boost the capacities of the Land Commission and traditional authorities at the state level to resolve disputes over natural resources: intercommunity peace conferences, guidelines on Conflict Mitigation for Resource Disputes and training of trainers, mapping of migratory patterns, support to the International Organization for Migration in identifying locations for water points, and support to the equipment survey conducted by the Ministry of Housing.
• The programme also conducted advocacy work against the continued use of Form 8, which once required victims of sexual assault/rape to file a police report before a hospital could provide any medical assistance. Although the form is no longer required, many doctors refuse to provide medical exams without the document for fear of reprisals.

Click for more detailed results from the Joint Programmes in South Sudan.