Eastern Equatoria County Consultation Summary Community driven conflict resolution

Transcription

1 Eastern Equatoria County Consultation Summary Community driven conflict resolution Consultation period: 1 March 10 May 2010 Community driven conflict resolution uncovering the issues The signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) in 2005 enabled renewed efforts in the restoration of security and stability. Thus far, Southern Sudan has made impressive progress in establishing a decentralized government structure and system throughout the region. At the same time, poverty, isolation, continued violence and insecurity still persist in many parts of the country. Eastern Equatoria State is one of the most volatile and conflict prone areas in Southern Sudan. As the epicenter of the civil war from , it saw intense fighting between the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) and the Sudan People s Liberation Army (SPLA), as well as a number of other armed groups supported by both sides. These amalgamated conflicts left a legacy of landmines and UXOs, high numbers of weapons in civilian hands, and shattered social, tribal and community relations. Beyond the area s substantial history of violence, social and economic infrastructure is also extremely underdeveloped, with few serviceable roads, healthcare centers and schools. The region is highly militarized, with a centralized command structure which is often unresponsive to civilian needs and safety. Due to under funding and logistical difficulties, Eastern Equatoria State also lacks an adequate security sector, one which is able to respond to the area s security needs As the security situation in Eastern Equatoria State is localized and specific, it would be futile to attempt to mitigate security issues without close coordination with and involvement from local communities. Thus, through a localized process of participatory consultation, neighboring groups are learning to find solutions to their problems through open communication, compromise, and intervention planning. When given the tools and skills to resolve conflicts, communities are empowered to support their own transitions into peace on a local level while achieving common goals and upholding their own central values. The focus of these community driven endeavors can then be appropriated by larger decision making bodies, such as the government, to inspire larger security policy. Therefore, taking a new approach to mitigate the ongoing conflict in Eastern Equatoria State, the Government of Southern Sudan (GoSS) and UNDP partners joined forces in 2010 to conduct extensive consultations in each of the counties of Eastern Equatoria State. This approach was designed to address the area s particular political, economic and cultural situation on a meaningful local level. The consultation team included representatives from the GoSS Office FAST FACTS: Eastern Equatoria State Eastern Equatoria State covers approximately 82,542 square km According to 2006 census, there are 906,126 people living in the State (465,365 male and 440,761 female) The State has a mixed ethnic background which includes the Toposa, Didinga, Latuka, Lango and Boya tribes It contains eight counties: Torit, Ikwoto, Budi, Kapoeta East, Kapoeta South, Kapoeta North, Magwi and Lafon Eastern Equatoria shares domestic and international borders with the Jonglei and Central Equatoria States in Sudan, as well as Uganda, Ethiopia and Kenya As part of the county consultations, community members gather to map patterns of local conflict Page 1

2 of the President, the Community Security and Arms Control Bureau and UNDP. The team used the Participatory Rural Appraisal method, which incorporates a variety of tools including focus groups, sampling, interviewing and mapping exercises. The consultation process brought together a balanced cross section of the local population including traditional leaders, women s groups and youth groups. This Summary Report presents a synthesis of this work. It highlights key findings in the first section but also includes county specific issues and priorities in the last. The team worked with local partners and communities to find ways to prevent violent conflict and help to ease tensions when they erupt. By identifying the key sources of insecurity within each county, the consultation team is able to pull from the data and community input to formulate new solutions which might prevent security issues and conflict before they begin. The main objectives of the county consultations were to: Identify key priority needs for addressing insecurity and stability in Eastern Equatoria State at the county level. Provide information on the trends and level of security issues and conflict in Eastern Equatoria State with a focus on the county level. Assess the challenges faced by state and county governments in reducing instability. Identify components of a wider peacebuilding and stability framework, as well as the factors necessary for increased community security in Eastern Equatoria State. Communities working together Throughout the consultation process, local communities were closely involved in priority identification and establishing the most effective possible future interventions. Working with teams to record each cause of conflict, community members were then able to prioritize the most significant threats to peace and the most needed interventions. Identifying the root causes of conflict is the first step towards migration and stability. The consultations helped communities collaborate to record the root causes of conflict, which will help them to make informed decisions in prioritizing resolutions. Through the implementation of targeted crisis prevention and recovery projects, local government officials will work with civil society actors and local organizations to create activities that reduce violent conflict and lay the foundations for sustainable development. Photo: Jenn Warren Livestock related conflicts including cattle raiding and disputes over grazing lands and water points were identified as one of the top sources of insecurity in Eastern Equatoria State. Key sources of conflict in Eastern Equatoria State : Border conflicts State, county and payam borders remain unclear and prone to unrest Political and governance issues The overwhelming culture of violence, as well as the proliferation of small arms only perpetuate security issues Security personnel are under funded, overextended and in need of training Little state government presence leads to dissatisfaction and marginalization Traditional conflict resolution mechanisms have been eroded Conflicts occur between pastoralists and agriculturalists, particularly during the dry season Little Rule of Law Economic and socio cultural issues Overdependence on unsustainable an cattle culture has left few other means of employment Cattle rustling has become an activity associated with cross tribal criminal gangs carried out to increase wealth acquisition Schools, roads and healthcare facilities are either poor or non existent Large number of IDPs and post conflict returnees increase competition for resources and limited basic services Page 2

3 Gender and Conflict Women in Southern Sudan experience one of the poorest quality of life indicators in the world and have suffered disproportionately from the effects of armed conflict. When it comes to countering armed violence and illicit arms ownership, women in Southern Sudan are often disempowered to act within their families, communities and governments. In Eastern Equatoria State, female consultation participants consistently described their problems as stemming from cultural practices. That is, a set of disabling habits and conditions within a cultural context which inspire violence and gender related difficulties. Currently, the most harmful cultural practices for women include: high incidence of rape, unequal labor burdens, no access to justice systems (traditional or otherwise) and a marginalized role in local institutions. The county consultation project is thus a unique opportunity for these women in that its methodology requires female participation and allows them to contribute to conflict mitigating activities which will protect both them and their children. Women in the consultations prioritized general security initiatives which would decrease the incidence of violence against women and children while completing daily tasks and ease their domestic burdens. There was also a strong emphasis on increasing female education. Key findings conflict dynamics The efforts at addressing security and stability issues in Eastern Equatoria State are unique to this particular UNDP project in that its approach includes an immediate contribution to the area s security sector through a pre consultation provision of necessary equipment to the local police. This policy was in direct response to the region s dire security situation, which is drastically under funded and unable to cope with the area s security needs. Without a concerted effort to control violence and lawless conduct, successful development initiatives will be difficult to enact. The state suffers from an extreme lack of infrastructure political, judicial and socio economic. As there is little formal state government presence, residents of Eastern Equatoria State are often subject to the whims of local politicians, some of whom are corrupt and instigate conflict as a means of increasing their own political gains. There is little rule of law throughout the area and state residents have few means of accessing justice or punishing those who commit crimes. Socio economically, there has been little implementation of effective civilian infrastructure due to underfunding and the difficulties of constructing effective healthcare centers, schools and roads in a conflict ravaged state. As a result, many are forced to go without these basic institutions or travel great distances to reach them exposing them to further violence. All but one participating county (Magwi) claimed to be affected by insecurity related to cattle raiding, water scarcity and access to grazing land. The incidence of these conflicts tends to intensify in the dry season, when nomadic pastoralists are forced to travel to find water and pasture for their animals. Additionally, there is a great deal of livestockrelated violent conflict with regard to cattle raiding. Disaffected youths with no promise of employment or education will continue to be a source of possible insecurity if not urgently addressed. The development of criminal gangs outside the reach of traditional conflict mitigation mechanisms and government security organs could potentially become the major factor driving instability in communities. Sources of insecurity Border conflicts Throughout the consultations, counties with international borders uniformly expressed concern over land grabbing and cross border hostility along the boundary with Uganda and Kenya. This is an extremely politicized issue that will need to be resolved as communities on the borders claim that it seriously affects stability in the State. Internally, there are also land issues and border disputes between counties. These conflicts tend to exist along tribal lines and are fueled in part by local politicians who could benefit from enlarging their own county borders to gain access to resources. Political and governance issues All of the participating communities expressed feelings of government abandonment because of the general lack of development and the state s inability to provide security. The EES and the Juba governments have not seriously ad Page 3

4 dressed the basic needs of these communities, which must be dealt with before any progress can be made in development and community security. Some communities have even experienced an increase in violence since the signing of the CPA; a fact which makes the need for effective grassroots stability and capacity building endeavors startlingly clear. In Eastern Equatoria State, traditional conflict resolution mechanisms have been eroded in the post CPA period. Traditional leaders, courts and peace committees do not carry the same weight or respect, particularly with the lawless groups of youth operating above tribal lines. Without access to formal government sanctioned judicial systems, there are few forms of punishment available for those who carry out illegal activities. As a result, there are currently few active forms of authority in the state. Traditional courts have also been undermined due to a GoSS provision that a GoSSappointed representative must be present in traditional court hearings. Due to lack of capacity and resources this has led to cases not being heard or in long delays in resolving issues. Effective, legitimate and accountable security forces (and attendant institutions) can contribute to the process of stabilization and the need to ensure protection for the population. Forces lacking these features may have contributed to conflict in the past and may well do so again. In the absence of well governed, disciplined and accountable security forces, fundamental institutions such as the Rule of Law, the protection of human rights and functional and transparent governance becomes difficult, if not impossible. As Eastern Equatoria State has a long history of involvement in the Sudanese Civil Wars and other conflicts, as well as a strong presence of independent militias, SPLA M forces and other armed groups, the area could benefit greatly from a full re integration of previous armed combatants into society. This would discourage the high incidence of many of the area s most pertinent security concerns, including the spread of arms and violence against women. While programming in Rule of Law and access to justice tends to focus on the formal judicial sector, for many poor and disadvantaged groups the informal or traditional justice sector is the only one to which they have access. One should therefore also seek to strengthen the integrity of the informal sector, while addressing the concern that in some instances existing informal or traditional processes may not be consistent with international human rights standards, including non discrimination. Economic and socio cultural issues Eastern Equatoria State has a strong, perhaps too strong dependence on cattle, for the effective functioning of its society. Traditionally, cattle has played a vital role in localized society, including dowry payment, income source, food and wealth. However, the precepts of the modern world are making the continuation of such traditional mores difficult. Top priority interventions as identified by community Construct police posts Create educational opportunities for girls Install effective judiciary and court system Increase general level of government intervention Encourage private investment Rehabilitate roads and bridges Increased dialogue between communities Page 4

5 Cattle raiding, once a practice carried out along communal tribal lines, has become a means of personal wealth acquisition for criminal gangs. The prevailing culture of violence and easy access to small arms has made this an increasingly dangerous activity. Instead of the normal nonperforming wealth accumulation herding of cattle, it has now become an attractive way for criminals to generate profit by selling the animals for slaughter. There is little functioning social infrastructure in the state. Roads are generally in disrepair or have poor extension networks, and there are few schools and healthcare centers. Those which do exist tend to be underfunded with over extended staff. Paths forward community input creates solutions The objective of the county consultations was to address insecurity by developing a series of coordinated, inter dependant interventions improve the security environment in Eastern Equatoria State and thus contribute to the consolidation of peace in Southern Sudan. These interventions will be responsive to both state driven initiatives and human security needs which are generated through bottom up consultation processes involving civil society and partners. The analysis of security and peace issues was pulled from the substantive data collected during the various phases of the consultations. This information thus inspires the formulation of policies and actions with both the government and international partners, inspired by the needs of communities at the county level. As is obvious by the community established priorities (see graph on page four and community narratives on page six), participants commonly believed that before any attempts at infrastructural development and traditional development projects could be undertaken, the state must first deal with its rampant security threats and encourage a new age of peace. Through the unique methodology of the county consultation process, these grassroots opinions can now be incorporated into larger government initiatives. County narratives Community mapping exercises help to establish the priority needs of each county The goal was to try to reduce insecurity by encouraging those affected by it to come up with their own solutions to tackle it County Fast facts: Sources of insecurity and key priorities identified by community focus groups Torit Number of payams: 8 Sources of insecurity: frequent cattle raiding, especially during migrations in the dry season; high incidence of homicide and violence, especially by youth, due to ingrained culture of revenge and lawlessness; erosion of traditional structures; wartime legacy of land mines has made basic transport and access to land difficult; competition over arable land and access to water. Key priorities: (as identified by community focus groups): construct police posts in the Imurok, Ifwoto and Himo Donge payams to address security concerns and provide an element of stability to the community which will allow for more complete development processes. Page 5

6 County Fast facts: Sources of insecurity and key priorities identified by community focus groups Ikwoto Number of payams: 6 Sources of insecurity: frequent cattle raiding, especially during the dry season during migrations to water and arable land; widespread small arms and light weapons ownership leading to violence and death; competition over access to water; low levels of education, particularly for girls, leading to ineffective development and dependence on aid; issues with food security; crucial role of cattle culture encourages the use of antiquated traditional methodology and places high demands on communities to deliver enough cattle to maintain traditional lifestyles; poor quality healthcare centres. Key priorities: construct police posts in Losite, Imotong in Logire HH, Katire and Lomohidang North and South to address security concerns and provide an element of stability to the community; educate young girls to encourage family stability, community values and the standing of women in the community. Magwi Number of payams: Unknown Sources of insecurity: poor infrastructure throughout the county is a residual effect of previous conflicts in the area as well as what is perceived to be little government initiative taken in rebuilding the community; poor quality health and sanitation systems lead to the easy spread of disease; little potable water; weak Rule of Law; confluence of criminal gangs and illegal activities of unemployed street youth; although not currently an issue, the area has a history of border tensions with neighboring Uganda and invasion by the Lord s Resistance Army (LRA); low cultural status of women, affects their access to legal structures and medical treatment. Key priorities: rehabilitate roads and bridges in Ayoci Lobone, Magwi Pogee, Nimule Mugali, and Mugali Pajok to allow for easier access to the entire county and encourage the spread of infrastructural development, cross community responsibility and communication. Lafon (Lopa) Number of payams: Unknown Sources of insecurity: No county consultation was held in Lafon due to the hostile situation resulting from the renaming the county from Lopa to Lafon (significant as Southern Sudanese names denote heritage and authority over land). The two competing factions refuse to meet and overtly engage in conflict. Key priorities: resolve the currently existing tensions between the county s divided communities and encourage the peaceful rehabilitation of inter county relations Budi Number of payams: Unknown Sources of insecurity: violence in community structures which affects the functioning of all else; frequent cattle raiding, especially during the migrations to water and pasture in the dry season; cattle culture encourages antiquated traditional methodology and place high demands on communities to deliver enough cattle to maintain traditional lifestyles; poor healthcare and education; little or no rule of law throughout the county; food insecurity. Key priorities: construct police posts in Lomaya, Wuathe, Maji, Longoleya, Piobokoi, Targum, Logeler, Kiria and Muhula Road/Lotome to address security concerns, provide stability and more complete development processes; install judiciary and effective courts to instill a sense of law and order in the community; increase government intervention to address perceived government disinterest. Page 6

7 County Fast facts: Sources of insecurity and key priorities identified by community focus groups Kapoeta East Number of payams: 7 Sources of insecurity: frequent cattle raiding, especially during the migrations to water and pasture which occur in the dry season; competition over scarce natural resources such as potable water, arable land and pasture; general lack of healthcare available throughout the county; poor quality education and few functioning schools; issues of border security with Jonglei State, Ethiopia and Kenya; high incidence of child abduction despite decline in frequency in recent years; geographically large county in which it is difficult to implement basic services. Key priorities: construct police posts in Nara (Natinga Payam), Napetait, Naliamor, Manete, LLoewele, Kankalbo, Murunyang, Nanyamgochor, Morutodo, Arupare, Lorumoth, Wuathe, Maji, Longoleya, Piobokoi, Targum, Logeler, Kiria, and Muhula Road/Lotome to address security concerns and provide an element of stability to the community; encourage private investment. Kapoeta South Number of payams: 5 Sources of insecurity: competition over scarce potable water, often results in conflict; frequent cattle raiding; accusations of cattle raiding between the primarily Didinga residents of Kapoeta South and those residing in neighboring counties, such as the Toposa in Kapoeta East and the Latuka and Lango to the south and west, largely due to the activities of criminal gangs and the pressure of co existing as competing pastoralist societies; history of poor communication networks in the county which often led to the spread of misinformation and subsequently, violence; poor quality healthcare facilities; little educational infrastructure throughout the county, and the schools which do exist are under equipped. Key priorities: construct police posts in Machi I, Machi II, Longeleya and Pwata to address security concerns and provide an element of stability to the community, allowing for a more complete development processes. Kapoeta North Number of payams: Unknown Sources of insecurity: primary security issues are all linked to competition for water; frequent cattle raiding, especially during the dry season migrations to water and pasture; these migration patters are strong as the county has a number of pastures but no dam or easy access to water during the dry season, forcing incursion into other counties which often results in violence; child abduction primarily occurs during migrations to arable land and pasture close to Murle communities; complete lack of Rule of Law resulting in a culture of lawlessness and insecurity. Key priorities: rather than waste funds on constructing a dam which would go dry, the community decided that the quickest way to address security concerns would be to construct police posts in Napion / Nariodapal, Napeingiro, Ikaipatom, Nawabei, Wokobu and Natukoi to provide an element of stability to the community which will allow for more complete development processes. Page 7

8 Capacity building and the community consultation process The community consultation process was led by GoSS officials and representatives. Data from communities was compiled into reports and presented to State Security Committees for validation. The next step, currently underway, is the design and implementation of targeted projects tailored to community input. UNDP s programme in Southern Sudan places a heavy emphasis on building the capacity of key government institutions, and it recognizes the need to work with a diverse set of other actors particularly at the grassroots level to promote sustainable development. Capacity development is, at its core, an initiative to help people help themselves. This is why many of UNDP s projects involve work with community group, women s organizations, and traditional authorities. UNDP s Community Security and Arms Control Project opened a unique consultation process in communities across some of Southern Sudan s most volatile areas. Working in partnership with the Southern Sudan Peace Commission and the Bureau for Community Security and Small Arms Control (CSAC), the goal of the project was to try to reduce insecurity by encouraging those affected by it to come up with their own solutions to tackle it. Across the four specific states that were targeted Jonglei, Lakes, Eastern Equatoria and Upper Nile a total of 37 counties participated, including payam level representatives. Bureau for Community Security and Small Arms Control The GoSS established the CSAC Bureau to build cooperation with authorities and local communities to address the threats to peace, security and development in Southern Sudan. The CSAC Bureau s main goal is to ensure communities are free from the threat of violence and are able to develop their livelihoods. Office of the President To enable the President and the overall Office of President to provide dynamic leadership in realizing the vision of a united and peaceful Southern Sudan through the development of coherent policy, quality strategies and effective programmes, and by fostering good partnership and improved working relationships and intergovernmental coordination. Capacity building by UNDP UNDP has been providing technical assistance in support of these two important bodies since Through its Community Security and Arms Control Project, it has embedded advisors and helped it create important linkages with relevant regional and international bodies. The recent county consultations process also helped build the capacity of this core institution by helping official gain vital management, facilitation and data gathering skills. It also allowed officials to take on a leadership role and properly connect with the people they are mandated to help. It is hoped that the information gathered through the process will not only help with development initiatives, but with the formulation of effective policies and legislation to combat insecurity across Southern Sudan. Youth group working on trends analysis in Magwi County UNDP is the UN's global development network, advocating for change and connecting countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build a better life. UNDP is on the ground in 166 countries, working with them on their own solutions to global and national development challenges. As the Government of Southern Sudan continues to look for new and innovative ways to address community security, UNDP will be there every step of the way.