 |
| |
| Fast Facts: |
| Project
document and reports available
upon request |
| Location: |
Kassala,
Eastern Sudan |
| Duration: |
2005
- December 2008 |
| Focus
area: |
Democratic
Governance |
| Donors: |
The
Norwegian Embassy, The European
Commission, the Royal Netherlands
government |
| Total
Funds Available: |
US$
1,058,172.72 |
| Partners: |
Al
Manar
|
| Delivery
for 2007:
|
US
$ 19,760.93 |
| Contact
person in UNDP: |
Esam
Ismail, Programme Officer.
esam.ismail@undp.org
|
|
Background
Eastern Sudan, a vast sun-blasted land
of some 300,000 square kilometers, is
home to an estimated three to four million
of Sudan’s poorest people. The
region is made up of three states: Red
Sea, Gadaref and Kassala. In each of
these states the living conditions are
so harsh that the local population has
been facing acute poverty, persistent
drought and famine, a lack of adequate
access to healthcare and education,
high levels of unemployment in addition
to land degradation and shrinking pasture
areas, for a very long time. This state
of affairs led to a low-intensity rebel
insurgency over the past eleven years
that was settled with the signing of
the Eastern Sudan Peace Agreement (ESPA)
in October 2006, between the Government
of Sudan and the Eastern Front.
This breakthrough highlighted opportunities
for peace-building, such as promoting
development, social equity, and peace
and reconciliation. As peace is sustained,
the strenuous economic and social
realities in this region have made
it very difficult for the poor and
marginalized segments of society to
obtain affordable legal counseling
and representation. This is mainly
due to the lack of a network of lawyers
to provide pro bono legal services
for the poor. In fact, like many parts
of Sudan, rule of law institutions
in Kassala State, namely the judiciary,
the prosecution, police and prison
administration, are in need of institutional
capacity building and training in
order to improve the quality of their
service delivery.
In addition, in Eastern Sudan, traditional
administrative structures have played
a crucial role in promoting the culture
of rule of law and conflict transformation.
However, these structures need to
be adjusted to the realities of the
2006 ESPA. Their roles in fostering
and nurturing the culture of rule
of law and peaceful conflict resolution
also need to be revitalized.
Moreover, the root causes of conflict
in this part of the country are related
to natural resources. Since Eastern
Sudan’s population is predominantly
rural, competition over scarce natural
resources, such as water, land and
grazing, is one of the causes of inter
and intra tribal tension and sometimes
conflicts. The presence of a significant
number of arms and the unresolved
issue of access to land, and equity
in resource distribution, is another
factor that makes this region prone
to conflict.
In order to sustain peace by preventing
conflict, UNDP established a presence
in Kassala in October 2005 and launched
the “Promoting Rule of Law and
Peaceful Conflict Resolution in Eastern
Sudan” project with the support
of the Netherlands government, The European
Commission and Norwegian embassy.
Objectives
The overall objective of the project
is to contribute to the peaceful resolution
of conflict within the framework of
the Interim National Constitution (INC),
the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA),
the Joint Assessment Mission (JAM) and
the Eastern Sudan Peace Agreement (ESPA),
to diffuse tensions in Eastern Sudan,
while paving the way for long-term development.
To this end, the specific objectives
of the project are:
• To strengthen access to justice
and thus contribute to confidence
building, to promote rule of law and
human security;
• To enhance the capacity of
state government, civil society and
communities to resolve disputes amicably;
• To build the capacity of local
officials and traditional leaders
to develop and sustain a rule of law
culture in Eastern Sudan; and
• To enhance the availability
of legal information and resources
on rule of law and conflict resolution
for government officials, traditional
leaders, students and the general
public in Kassala State.
Snapshots of the project's major achievements
As a result of its close working relations
with local authorities, as well as traditional
leaders and members of the civil society
operating in Kassala, UNDP has been
asked to upscale its activities, especially
with regard to rule of law. The following
is a list of the project’s major
achievements:
• In collaboration with the
local NGO, Al Manar, the project established
the first Legal Aid Centre in Kassala
in June 2006. The project supported
the training of the Centre’s
52 paralegals, 29 female and 23 male,
on human rights, the principles of
rule of law, INC, CPA and ESPA. The
Centre is open five days a week to
provide legal counseling and court
representation and serves as a forum
for awareness raising sessions, conflict
resolution and confidence building
initiatives. Since its establishment,
the Legal Aid Centre has provided
legal counseling and representation
to 28 individuals.
• In March 2007, the first Legal
Information and Resource Centre in
Kassala was established. The Centre
provides information and references
on topics such as law, human rights,
peace-building, peace studies, and
conflict resolution. It also serves
as a venue for seminars, workshops,
training courses, and symposia.
• Rehabilitated the sewage system
of the Kassala Prison.
• Conducted a series of seminars,
training and workshops, in order to
enhance people’s awareness of
human rights and rule of law.
• Conducted a baseline study
on customary law in Eastern Sudan.
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