October 2010

The six year interim period following the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) that ended Sudan’s North-South civil war is drawing to a close.  The agreement created a power-sharing government, provided for general elections, and guaranteed the South’s right of self-determination through a referendum on independence.  Amid remaining tensions and unresolved issues between the North and South, there were fears that violence would break out during the general elections last April 2010.  To address these concerns, USIP conducted a series of Electoral Violence Prevention (EVP) workshops across Sudan from June 2009 to February 2010.   The workshops were well attended by representatives of diverse sectors of Sudanese society (including teachers, students, civil society, police and clergy).  

In addition, a group of facilitators from both north and south Sudan was trained to conduct further EVP training and education sessions within their local communities as well as numerous public fora on EVP were conducted throughout the country. During the elections some isolated violence did occur, but the elections – though regarded as flawed by international observers – took place without serious violence.  Now in the brief time remaining before the January 2011 referendum, fears of violence are renewed as the expectations and hopes for the referendum outcome are different in the North and the South and because so many crucial issues remain unresolved.

Linda Bishai and Nina Sughrue of the Academy for International Conflict Management and Peacebuilding and contractor (and former USIP program specialist) Kelly Campbell traveled to Juba, Sudan October 4-7, 2010.  The trip inaugurated what will be a series of workshops on Referendum Violence Prevention, which will strengthen participants’ abilities to identify triggers of violence likely to occur before, during and after a referendum, deepen understanding of citizenship concepts such as governance and democratic principles, and enhance negotiation and conflict resolution skills.  The 30 or so participants represented all ten states of Southern Sudan as well as five participants from the border states in the North.  Participants represented a variety of sectors including police, the church, media, youth unions, and civil society organizations.  There was also a female member of the South Sudan parliament present.  Women  were  well represented with nearly half of the participants being female.

The workshop opened with an introduction and summary of the Sudan Referendum Act.  Many participants were not familiar with the details of the act and the presentation highlighted particular points of confusion that are likely to trigger tension, conflict and possibly violence. New case studies were developed for this program dealing with specific examples of separation referenda.  The cases developed included Western Sahara, Quebec, Eritrea and East Timor.  Participants discussed the case studies in working groups and shared their findings in plenary sessions.  Participants received conflict resolution skills training including conflict styles, negotiation, and problem solving and had an opportunity to apply some of those skills in exercises, group work, and a simulation based on the secession of Slovenia. Several participants requested soft copies of the workshop materials and pledged to continue the training in their organizations.  The next workshop is planned for mid-November, again in South Sudan. 

View photos from the RVP Workshop in Sudan. 

More from USIP on Sudan

• Eye on Sudan: Referendum January 2011
• Sudan's Referendum | On the Issues with Jacki Wilson
• Secession and Precedent in Sudan and Africa
  Special Report | November 2010
• Supporting a Peaceful Transition to an Independent South Sudan