 |
| |
| Fast Facts: |
| Project
document and reports available
upon request |
| Location: |
Abyei |
| Duration: |
January
2005 -April 2008 |
| Focus
area: |
Crisis
Prevention and Recovery |
| Donors: |
UK’s
Department for International Development,
The Netherlands, The US Agency
for International Aid, Canada |
| Total
Funds Available: |
US$
6,676,959.04 |
| Partners: |
•
Non Governmental Organizations
(NGOs)
• Community Based
Organizations (CBOs)
•
Civil Society Organizations (CSOs)
• Local Authorities and
Technical Units (LAs & LTUs)
• UNMIS and UN specialized
agencies |
| Delivery
for 2007:
|
US$
1,079,149.77 |
| Contact
person in UNDP: |
Gul
Mohammad Fazli
Programme Manager
gul.fazli@undp.org
|
|
Background
Under the Comprehensive Peace Agreement
(CPA), Abyei, Blue Nile State, and South
Kordofan State/Nuba Mountains were given
the special status of so-called “Protocol
Areas,” with power being shared
along predetermined lines.
Situated along the north-south border
of Sudan, Abyei, together with the Nuba
Mountains and Blue Nile, is one of the
Protocol Areas. Abyei has suffered tremendously
from over twenty years of conflict,
which has taken a heavy toll on lives
of the communities there.
Before signing the CPA, in May 2004
the Government of the Sudan (GoS) and
the Sudan People’s Liberation
Movement/Army (SPLM/A) first signed
a special Protocol on Abyei. The 2004
Protocol defines Abyei as a bridge between
the north and the south, linking the
people of Sudan. The territory is defined
as the area of the nine Ngok Dinka chiefdoms
transferred to Kordofan in 1905. The
Misseriya and other nomadic peoples
retain their traditional rights to graze
and move across the territory of Abyei.”
Following the signing of the CPA,
Abyei became a gateway for returnees,
especially for Dinka, Ngok and Twic
people. To date, more than 50,000
returnees have resettled in Abyei,
about fifteen new villages have been
re-established in the area, and several
markets have either expanded or opened.
However, due to the conflict, the
Abyei area suffers greatly from a
lack of access to basic social services
such as drinking water, schools and
health facilities, as well as from
the absence of governance and rule
of law institutions. This has made
the resettlement process very challenging
for the returning population.
In January 2005, with the support
of the Netherlands, the UK’s
Department for International Development
(DFID), the US Agency for International
Development (USAID) and Canada’s
International Development Agency (CIDA),
UNDP launched the Recovery of Abyei
Area through the Good Governance and
Poverty Reduction project. The three-year
initiative is articulated around three
interrelated components: the Rule
of Law, Governance and Recovery and
Reintegration.
Objectives
The project’s main objective is
to support initiatives for the recovery
and reintegration process in the Abyei
Area. The specific objectives of the
project are:
• To improve the welfare of the
people living in the project area through
area recovery and support to livelihoods.
• To strengthen local authorities
and civil society to support area recovery
and peaceful coexistence through the
rule of law and good governance.
• To empower communities to exercise
their rights, and resolve conflict through
both customary and statutory mechanisms.
Snapshots of the project's major achievements
• Facilitated and financed the
development of the Abyei Area Road Map.
A blue print for Abyei Area development
is now available.
• Rehabilitated a total of 7 water
yards in and around Abyei Area; installed
15 water distribution points in Abyei
Town; trained 20 water caretakers in
the area.
• Provided containers for garbage
and supported the construction of latrines
in Abyei Town.
• Rehabilitated 4 primary schools
in Abyei and Meiram towns and provided
school furniture to 2 schools in Abyei
Town.
• Completed the construction of
6 schools in the new returnee villages.
Currently, expanding 4 schools by constructing
additional classrooms, offices and latrines
(ongoing activities).
• Constructed six grinding millhouses
and equipped the houses with grinding
mills.
• Provided six-months’ support
to the electricity supply of Abyei Town.
• Rehabilitated the Abyei Town
Hospital and Meiram Town Clinic.
• Constructed 2 women’s
community centres in Todaj and Agok,
and supported 6 months of skills training
for women in tailoring, tie-dye, crocheting
(40 in Todaj village and 60 in Agok
Town). The training for 40 women in
Abyei Town is ongoing.
• Constructed/rehabilitated short
roads in Abyei Town.
• Completed the construction of
a slaughter house in Abyei Town.
• Supported the peace-building
activities through the provision of
sports gear to the youth of Abyei.
• Started the construction of
Abyei Town Bus Station (an on-going
activity).
• Rehabilitated the Joint Offices
of the South Sudan Relief and Rehabilitation
Commission (SSRRC) and Humanitarian
Affairs Commission (HAC) offices in
Abyei and Agok towns; provided necessary
office equipment: motor bikes, computers,
generator and office furniture to SSRRC/HAC
and trained their staff in management
and monitoring.
• Constructed a traditional courthouse
in Abyei Town; the courthouse was equipped
through an in-kind donation from USAID/OTI;
court officials were trained in basic
computer techniques.
• Constructed a Justice and Confidence
Centre (JCC) to initiate legal aid activities;
trained 16 members of the Abyei Human
Rights Group (AHRG), who attended a
national Legal Aid training workshop
in Khartoum in March 2007, conducted
a one-day workshop to educate other
group members. The workshop was attended
by 48 members (30 women and 18 men).
• Established the first Human
Rights group in Abyei and provided weekly
training sessions on international standards
on Human Rights. Also the Human Rights
group conducted awareness sessions in
Abyei, Agok and the surrounding villages,
and is in the process of being registered
as a local Human Rights NGO.
• Constructed a new police station
and rehabilitated the holding cells
of the old police station in Abyei Town,
and began the construction of the Agok
Police Station.
• Conducted 7 community police
training workshops: 5 in Abyei (20 attendees
at the first three sessions, 14 for
the third and 12 at the last) and 2
in Agok (71 trainees in total, with
45 women attending the first training
which was designed for female officers
only).
• Provided office equipment and
stationery for Abyei and Agok police
stations.
• With the UN Police, implemented
a 3-week basic computer training course
for four members of the Agok police
staff, also handed over community policing
supplies to Abyei and Agok police, including
10 bicycles, 60 pairs of rain boots,
52 flashlights, 5 whiteboards and assorted
stationary.
• Conducted two symposiums on
the Concept of Rule of Law in Abyei
and Agok.
• Undertook 2 community policing
workshops on health and hygiene (as
it relates to detainees) and an overview
of community policing for 14 community
members from surrounding areas.
• Conducted training on Human
Rights and Rule of Law in collaboration
with the International Rescue Committee
(IRC).
• Conducted two studies on customary
law and traditional justice in Abyei.
• Completed a mapping exercise
to identify active Civil Society Organizations
and Government structures/organizations
in Abyei Area.
• Strengthened the traditional
authorities’ capacity building
on working with agencies to implement
development projects, undertake advocacy
on behalf of its members and to engage
the local government, once in place,
on accountability to the people.
• Coordinated the civil society
to form an Abyei Civil Society Network
and established a local network for
CSOs and women, and provided technical
and operational support for 20 CSOs
and CBOs.
• Organized a gender mainstreaming
event in Abyei and supported the women’s
manifesto to advocate for the increased
participation of women in decision-making,
launched on International Women’s
Day in 2007.
• Organized 2 peace-building conferences
for the leaders of the Dinka Ngok and
Misseriya nomads to discuss matters
pertaining to the annual migration.
• Supported the Abyei Technical
Committee on Education to convene a
two-day forum on community participation
in education. The forum successfully
met its objectives; to create awareness
of community participation in decision-making
and management of schools and to collect
views on the terms of reference for
PTAs in schools. Over 100 teachers and
parents attended the forum.
• Supported the preparation of
the Abyei Human Rights Group (AHRG)
constitution.
• Carried out a two-day constitution
writing session as part of capacity
building for AHRG.
• Organized a training of trainers
(ToT) session for 30 women members of
AHRG. The session was centred on the
function and skills of paralegals in
the community. Conducted human rights
awareness-raising sessions in local
communities neighbouring Abyei Town.
• Organized a TOKTEN workshop
to introduce the project to local CSOs
and SSRRC/HAC staff.
• Organized two workshops for
local NGOs and community leaders in
Abyei, on management of CSOs and leaders
awareness on Gender and Women’s
Human Rights, respectively. The second
workshop was a joint initiative of the
UNMIS Human Rights Division and UN Police
in Abyei.
• Supported the Abyei CSO Network
to conduct a two-day workshop to develop
their constitution in readiness for
registration with SSRRC/HAC. A taskforce
comprising 4 local NGOs reviewed the
final draft and disseminated it widely
to the Network membership for validation
and endorsement.
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