Promoting Rule of Law and Peaceful Conflict Resolution in Eastern Sudan




 
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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