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Africa Policy E-JournalSudan: NGO Report +++++++++++++++++++++Document Profile+++++++++++++++++++++ Region: East Africa +++++++++++++++++end profile++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Sudan Monthly Report November 15, 1998 2. Agencies seek new Ways to end crisis As the year 1998 comes to a close, fears have already been expressed about another famine of Biblical proportions in Sudan next year. In fact, those from the ground reckon that next year's food deficit in the war-ravaged country could surpass this year's hitherto unprecedented levels. So how is next year's situation likely to be? To put you in the picture; consider this: This year's famine affected an estimated 2.6 million people, prompting the greatest United Nation relief operation in human history Though the exact figures of those who failed to survive the ravages of the devastating hunger are yet to come out, they are in hundreds of thousands, adding to the misery of a people who have known little if any peace in their lives. Next year's situation is likely to be worse because whereas the world did the most logical thing in the circumstances -- feeding the hungry to safe as many lives as possible -- nothing substantial has been done to address the principle cause of the famine -- Sudanese civil war. Now in its 15th year, the current phase of the protracted conflict has ensured that Sudanese spend the least time engaging in activities that can keep hunger at bay. Rather than spend time cultivating, all the able bodied men and women spend time in the fields with guns protecting their territory and their people. Others busy themselves seeking refugee in more secure parts of the world. It is estimated that the past 15 years have seen more than half the population of southern Sudan flee their homes. The young ones are not spending time in schools acquiring skills for the future challenges, while the leaders are busy strategising on the next war plan. It was therefore gratifying to learn that some four large relief organisations have opted to advocate for a more practical approach to tackling the civil war. Aid alone, they say, would not solve the disasters that have cost 1.5 million lives. Representatives of CARE International, Oxfam, Doctors without Borders and Save the Children, all of whom have projects in Sudan, met Security Council members at Sweden's UN mission to press their campaign. Specifically, the four agencies called on the UN to "generate a forceful and positive lobby for peace" that would include shuttle diplomacy, followed by summit level meetings and a full-time special representative for UN secretary-general Kofi Annan in the area. "Humanitarian assistance alone, in a political vacuum, will not solve Sudan's problems nor stop the next famine.. What we need is the political will to end the war," said Guy Tousignant, secretary general of Care International. Such an appeal could not have come at a more appropriate time. One can only hope that other agencies seize the earliest opportunity to help metamorphosise this noble dream into a reality. Charles Omondi
Sudan: Who has the will for peace? A paper by Save the Children Fund, CARE International and Oxfam GB [Excerpts: for full report see the Oxfam web site (http://www.oxfam.org.uk/policy/papers/sudan.htm).] 22 October 1998 Introduction 1. 1998 draws to a close with no end in sight to Sudan's conflict after more than thirty years of fighting. ... Thousands have died in 1998 alone. An estimated 4 million Sudanese are displaced, either internally or as refugees. The humanitarian toll of the war is appalling and not confined to Sudan. ... Cease-fire 2. A bleak end to 1998 will only be slightly mitigated by the agreement of the Sudan Government, on 12 October, and the SPLA, on 8 October, to extend their cease-fire in Bahr el Ghazal until the middle of January 1999. This is certainly welcome if it can be broadened throughout southern Sudan and beyond. But if the cease-fire can not, it may only allow the warring parties to withdraw forces from Bahr el Ghazal to intensify violence in other regions. ... Peace Process 3. As the war and the humanitarian crisis continue, there is still precious little momentum for serious negotiations. Both Government and SPLA seem to have settled into a brutal routine of accepting limited cease-fires which 'buy time' for both sides. They do not necessarily represent a commitment to peace by any party. The war rages on, perpetuating the conditions for famine. It is marked by infrequent meetings of the warring parties, most recently in August in Addis Ababa, under the auspices of the regional organisation, the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD). ... International Attention 4. Internationally, there is probably less interest in Sudan now than there was in the middle of 1998. Much of the political attention has waned as the television cameras which covered the famine when it was 'new' have departed. 5. The prime responsibility for the suffering of the people of Sudan is shared by the Government, the SPLA, and Sudan's various militia, all of whom pursue a war which can not be won. A few profit from the conflict while many thousands of civilians have died in 1998 alone and millions more are denied their human rights. Sudan seems a level enough killing field to allow this to go on for many more years unless something is done to persuade both sides that their interests lie in a meaningful peace process instead. 6. What can that 'something' be? This paper does not argue for a precise solution. It does not rest on the comforting assumption that, given greater political will, there will be an easy way to peace for Sudan. But it does argue that without greater will there is no chance of finding that way. What is needed now is a gear change in the activity of a number of governments, in the region and beyond, to turn the IGAD process into effective negotiations. The regional dimension to the conflict cannot be understated. An effective peace process will have to de-escalate the situation at every level and across the region. This could mean:
Human Rights and Humanitarian Action (i) Human Impact 7. The war in Sudan has already claimed more than 1.5 million lives. Sudan's warring factions use civilians as human shields and as strategic military resources. Civilians' right to access to humanitarian relief is controlled rather than respected, and the human rights of children, women and men are violated systematically. 8. After years of conflict, less than half the population of southern Sudan remain in their place of origin. At least 4 million people are estimated to have fled their homes. ... 9. Often forgotten, 2 million displaced people live in the squatter areas of Khartoum - 70% of whom have fled the war. In Khartoum, they suffer forced removals and demolitions by the Government, and in a recent survey of three squatter sites, the inhabitants there have to depend for water on one borehole for every 13,000 people. 10. Oxfam is urgently working with the UN World Food Programme and others to assess the numbers of people who will continue to be at risk next year. At this stage it seems likely that of the 2.6 million people assessed as being at risk in the middle of 1998, a substantial majority will continue to be at risk in 1999. 11. Poverty, malnutrition, displacement, poor sanitary conditions, and lack of access to clean water combine to increase people's vulnerability to diseases such as leishmaniasis (kala azar), tuberculosis, cholera, trypanosomiasis (sleeping sickness) and guinea worm. 12. As with health services, there has been an almost absolute collapse in education systems in much of Sudan. Estimates of adult illiteracy are 90% for women and 80% for men in the south, and a still deplorable 44% in the north. It is likely that there is a 'lost generation' of Sudanese who have received little or no education. 13. The humanitarian impact of the Sudanese conflict is not confined to Sudan nor to the Sudanese. Sudan's neighbours are both clearly implicated in the war and suffer from its proximity. Ugandan opposition groups such as the Lord's Resistance Army operate from bases near the border and have inflicted well-documented abuses on both Sudanese and Ugandan civilians. In addition, Ethiopia, Eritrea, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda have all hosted large numbers of Sudanese refugees. (ii) Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law 14. The April 1998 report of the Human Rights Rapporteur stated that the human rights situation had deteriorated significantly in the last year. Any peace process must now be built on respect for human rights if it is to have any meaning for civilians in Sudan. Any war criminals of Sudan, as of every country, must be brought to justice. Recommendations
(iii) Humanitarian Action 15. Northern Bahr el Ghazal and western Upper Nile remain insecure. There are substantial numbers of people who have been displaced many times and who do not have the means of keeping themselves alive over the coming months. ... Recommendations
The Peace Process (i) The Process 18. There are fundamental disagreements which go to the core of the Sudanese state: disputed autonomy for the south; the transitional government; the territorial control of oil rich regions; and the separation of religion and state. Eventually, agreement will have to be reached on these issues if any peace is to endure. However, they must be tackled in a way which brings resolution on urgent issues and allows further negotiation for issues which will benefit from longer negotiation and consultation with populations. The sequencing of negotiations may be vitally important. There are real dangers. A negotiated settlement could freeze injustice by consolidating the power of authoritarian and undemocratic forces. Peace must be just and inclusive if it is to be enduring. Recommendations
(ii) Post-Settlement Investing in Peace 20. A lasting peace will depend on Sudanese leaders and the population believing that there is more to be gained from peace than war. The international community needs to develop a framework for post-settlement reconstruction which is both fast and flexible, and focused on reducing poverty through restoring livelihoods. ... Recommendations
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Africa Policy E-Journal
