Capacity Development for Peace building in Post Conflict Societies : Peace and Reconciliation perspective

Transcription

1 Session 1 Capacity Development for Peace building in Post Conflict Societies : Peace and Reconciliation perspective Christine Atieno 1 1. Introduction The scope of this presentation is to look into new insights in a much broader perspective of what capacity development actually entails. Through discussing innovative approaches and similarly exchanging ideas on the various mechanisms and frameworks, identifying successful benchmarks which can be used as examples to learn on the various dynamics involved and required to address the sustainability of the New Sudan s comprehensive post-conflict peace package. The basic aim of this strategy would be to encourage decentralization of (re) construction projects in southern Sudan, by partners in development in conjunction with the peace commission, which by itself represents a department of the leadership of the Government of Southern Sudan. The activity also intends to lobby for more support for the Sudan peace process, from other key peace-building players within the developing nations who may have undergone similar post-war experiences and have been successful in empowering local indigenous populations through various peace dividend schemes. 2. Brief on the Sudan civil war The United Kingdom in 1953 concluded an agreement with Egypt providing for Sudanese self-government and self-determination. In 1955, the then government in Khartoum reneged on promises to create a federal system., which led to a mutiny and sparked a 17-year civil war. The Addis Ababa agreement of 1972 was the foundation for a ten-year cease-fire between the northern and southern forces but in 1983 President Gaafer Muhammad Nimeiri began a process of incorporating Shari'a, or Islamic law, into the penal code. This was controversial within the largely Muslim North, and required the establishment of emergency courts to enforce the new laws. In the South this, and other power sharing issues, led to the resumption of the civil war. At the political front in Sudan, SPLM/A s formation in 1983 was a result of the resumption of the civil war in the same year following the imposition of sharia law by the then President Numeri. This was considered by the southerners as an abrogation of the Addis Ababa accords of 1972 which guaranteed autonomy for the southern region. Preceding this accord was the confrontation between the Government of Sudan and the Anyanya rebels. Ideology The concept of Reconciliation, Peace and Unity among southern Sudanese has been a principle of the SPLM/A since its inception and formation of the movement in Itang, Ethiopia in July The movement bases its guiding principles on: freedom, justice and dignity, the liberation of the individual and society from all forms of political, economic, social and natural 1 Programmes Officer affiliated to Convergent International / South Sudan Peace Commission / South South Network; cristina_atieno@yahoo.com

2 constraints social justice and democracy human rights and equality for all irrespective of ethnicity, religion or gender After adopting the above principles, the SPLM/A leadership issued provisional orders to its rank and file communicating the same. The objective was for its rank and file to be able to address both real and perceived differences between communities that were then under the jurisdiction of the movement. As a result, between 1983 and 1990, numerous dialogue, peace and reconciliation conferences and interfaces between the SPLM/A and local communities were witnessed. 3. Post-conflict Africa - Case Studies a) Sierra Leone The civil war in Sierra Leone began in March 1991 after the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) incursed from neighbouring Liberia. The armed conflict witnessed a series of abductions and recruitment of children, young men and women who were forced to fight with the rebels. However, in February 1998, the Government of Sierra Leone (GoSL) embarked on a policy framework to end the conflict hence pursue peace and reconciliation. Eventually, the Lome Peace Agreement was signed between the GoSL and RUF on 7 July An immediate challenge that faced Sierra Leone when the war seized was that there lacked a clear understanding how the violent and illegal exploitation of natural resources created obstacles on the implementing programmes for post-conflict peace-building and recovery. An economic strategy used in the 1990s by the UN Security Council to reduce the flow of resources for combatant self-financing included imposing commodity sanctions. The aim of this was to curtail the trade in conflict commodities such as diamonds. However, as had been reported in several UN Expert Panel reports, the success of the sanction mechanism was being hampered because both the rebel groups and governments targeted by the sanctions continued to procure weapons and trade in conflict resources through transnational criminal and arms trafficking networks. The Lome Peace Agreement provided the framework for a ceasefire, governance and peace building. This saw the creation of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Sierra Leone whose mandate was later reinforced on 22 February 2000 by the Sierra Leonean Parliament when it enacted the Truth and Reconciliation Act, Meanwhile, under article 9 of the Lome Accord, the post-conflict society of Sierra Leone was faced with the challenge of providing pardon and amnesty to leaders of the RUF and other combatants and collaborators in respect to anything done by them in pursuit of their objectives between 1991 July 7, Peace Building strategies The Sierra Leone peace process largely focused on disarming, demobilization and reintegrating fighting forces. Some of the approaches are highlighted below. The GoSL determined to sustain peace as a short and long-term security measure, developed a Comprehensive strategic framework for the reintegration programme that would see a number of both armed and paramilitary forces as well as ex-combatants undergo the DDR process. The GoSL carried out sensitization campaigns to educate the general public on the DDR programme and the role of ex-combatants in a post conflict society Through the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, the GoSL was able to investigate the causes, nature and extent of gross human rights abuses, create impartial historical data of the violations and abuses related to the armed conflict, address impunity, respond to the needs of victims, pay close attention to the sexual abuse and experience of children within the armed conflict, promote

3 healing and reconciliation as well as prevent a repetition of the violations and abuses suffered. With a specific focus on the ex-combatants, the GoSL ensured the provision of information, counseling and referral services at the regional and district level aimed at providing the target group with information on opportunities for employment, participation in the private sector and community-based national reconstruction and rehabilitation activities. In addition, a regional Training and Employment Fund (TEF) was established to provide the ex-combatants with accessibility to apprenticeships or vocational training thus subsidize employment opportunities. The GoSL also involved regional and international bodies such as ECOMOG 2 and UNAMSIL 3 as well as the international community as whole to assist the peace process by providing security, necessary logistics to operate disarmament sites and demobilization centers countrywide and mobilizing funds for the DDR programme respectively Truth and Reconciliation process Since TRC was a home - grown approach to the peace building efforts of the signatory parties to Lome Accord, the commission invited individuals but not groups to make statements or appear before it thus discouraging collective responsibility. The process was complimented by other grass-roots peace and reconciliation strategies were initiated by a local NGO called Movement to Unite People, MUP whose programmes targeted peace consolidation at combatant and community levels. MUP s strategies involved carrying out discussions and meetings with the RUF and other ex- combatants to take initial steps towards asking for forgiveness from their respective society. b) South Africa Historical brief Southern Africa as a region has abundant mineral wealth and this combined with its attractive geographical location encouraged European settlement in the early 19 century. This colonization produced a legacy of material dispossession, racial discrimination and loss of political rights for the black majorities. Resulting from the European settlement, South Africa had achieved its political independence by 1910 under conditions of white minority rule. With time, economic links developed between South African power centers and their western counterparts. Truth and Reconciliation process The two most prominent meanings of reconciliation promoted in post-apartheid South Africa are those ascribing to the non-racial and multi-cultural schools of thought. The multicultural model is based on the notion that South Africa is composed of a conglomeration of different cultures and histories. The non-racial ideology entails dissolving the racial identities arising from the policies of the past and implores the TRC (and other such efforts) to convert people into non-racial citizens within a harmoniously integrated social setting. 4 Meanings of reconciliation the South Africa context 1. Multi-cultural model based on the notion that SA is a society of different cultures and histories 2. Non-racial model entails dissolving the racial identities arising from the policies of the past and implores the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and other efforts to convert people into non-racial citizens within a harmoniously integrated setting 3. Human Rights model suggests that social interaction needs to be governed by the rule of law, largely to prevent the atrocities of the past from being repeated 2 ECOWAS (Economic Community of West African States) Ceasefire Monitoring Group 3 United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone 4 Hamber, B. (2002) Ere their story die : truth, justice and reconciliation in South Africa in Race & Class.Vol.44, Iss.1, pp.66

4 4. Religious model focuses on an approach that speaks about concentric circles of reconciliation. Notions of truth and forgiveness are undeniably central to this model 5. Ubuntu model asserts that all community members share a common humanity and by denying the common humanity of others, the communities and its members are dehumanized 6. Development model advocates the remedying of historically induced inequalities, whilst simultaneously advocating a strategy of cooperation for the social and economic development of the nation. This model requires an acknowledgement of past injustice and the willingness to redress the broadscale injustices that continue to skew advantages in present day SA. The model further advocates that reconciliation cannot develop in a sustainable way if structural injustice in the political, legal and economic domain remain. The model also prescribes that it is impossible to change the relationships in a post-conflict society if the material, structural and valuative conditions under which these relationships were created remain unchanged. 4. Rwanda and Southern Sudan models of Peace and Reconciliation a) Rwanda Model National Unity and Reconciliation Commission Historical Brief Under the colonial rule, Rwanda experienced bad governance based on discrimination and division of Rwandan people. The principle of governing was divide and rule which was rather a repressive culture and inevitably leading to massive human rights violations and the culmination of it all in Genocide that occurred in 1994 that saw up to 1 million Rwandans perish. Strategies for the post-conflict Rwanda In 1998, the office of the President of the Republic organized at village level reflection sessions on the future of the country and came up with the vision 2020 strategy. The objective for this was for Rwanda, which was recovering from the civil war could also think of its future hence formulate its aspirations. The vision 2020 provides a guide at how to address the current, future and fundamental questions. It is based on 6 pillars: Reconstruction of the Rwandan Nation Establishing an efficient State capable of unifying and mobilizing its population, Human resource development Town and country planning Development of basic infrastructure Development of entrepreneurship and private sector In July 1994, the Government of National Unity of Rwanda was set up and as an immediate measure prioritized unity and reconciliation of its people as the basis of defeating socio-economical and political underdevelopment. A law to establish a non-judicial commission for unity and reconciliation was adopted by the parliament in March The Rwandan communities across the country constitute the basis for the Unity and Reconciliation Commission (URC) work and policies. In all its work, the URC seeks to operate in a participatory way to permit Rwandans of all walks of life to shape and influence the ways and means of how unity and reconciliation is to be achieved. In May 2003, a referendum was carried out for the new constitution of Rwanda which and saw a 90% vote in favour of and therefore was announced as law in June The constitution, inspired from the Rwandan culture had a strong basis on the country s context and challenges and is concerned with finding adequate solutions to the problems. These included promoting national unity, fighting the ideology of genocide and all its manifestations, eradication of any identity based divisionism inter alia

5 Strategies for peace building Solidarity camps these were initiated in the Ministry of Youth, Culture and Sports during the post-genocide transitional period aimed at sensitizing the youth on work and collaboration. The process received support from the government of national unity, which saw the latter using the concept in sensitizing Rwandan returnees from camps on the policy of peaceful coexistence. The process seemed quite a success and was further included in the advocacy programmes of unity and reconciliation as courses for leaders of National Institutions, basic structures and those involved in people s day-to-day life Midugudus scheme as a post conflict reconciliation strategy, Rwanda embarked on a low-cost housing project using locally available materials that targeted providing shelter for genocide survivors, IDPs and former Rwandan refugees from neighbouring countries. This has since encouraged sharing of resources, living as a community and even inter-marrying. b) Southern Sudan Model South Sudan Peace Commission (formerly Sudan Peace and Reconciliation Commission) Historical brief During the 1990s, SPLM/A intensified its traditional reconciliation and conflict resolution in the Upper Nile region. The first marked success of this peace - making approaches was seen through the establishment of SPLM/A Upper Nile Peace and Reconciliation Interim Liaison Office SUNPRILO. The mandate of the SUNPRILO increased and in February 2002, it was upgraded to the SPLM Peace Desk with the objective to urge unity between and among the people. In August 2004, further recognition by the SPLM/A governing body of the importance of the Peace Desk in the Peace and Reconciliation efforts at local, national and international levels led the former to upgrade the peace desk into Sudan Peace and Reconciliation Commission, SPRC. On 9 January 2005, the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) was signed between Government of Sudan and the Sudan People s Liberation Movement / Army (SPLM/A). As the overall guiding policy document during the interim period for both the Government of National Unity and Government of Southern Sudan, the Interim Constitution of Southern Sudan (ICSS) has been developed and was passed into law on 5 December 2005 by President Salva Kiir of the Government of Southern Sudan. Under part nine of the ICSS, chapter II art.146 (1) and (2) provides for independent institutions and commissions to be established by the Government of Southern Sudan in accordance with the CPA, ICSS and Interim National Constitution. Thus in the early part of the year 2006, saw the establishment of South Sudan Peace Commission. Current Situation Sudan as whole is the largest country in Africa with a total area of about 2.5 million square kilometers and a population of about 35 million people. Southern Sudan in itself is an area as large as France. The reconciliation process seeks to bridge the past, whilst simultaneously bridging the divisions between different communities. In Southern Sudan the post-conflict healing and reconciliation process is still at its early stages after the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement two years ago. The concept of reconciliation in southern Sudan context is nonetheless based on the principles of real forgiveness, compromise, tolerance and the accommodation of social, cultural, ethnic and religious differences. The Peace Commission is therefore committed to build the capacity of the local communities through direct and indirect interventions as well as devotes itself to the task of promoting the culture of peace and reconciliation as part of its immediate agenda. Peace building through diversity and unity - House of Nationalities concept

6 Sudanese intellectuals developed the HoN during workshops held in 2000 and 2001 to address questions on cultural diversity and political stability. The concept was borrowed from Botswana s House of Chiefs, after a delegation composed of chiefs and members of the civil society 5 from south Sudan visited the country to learn from the experience. Botswana has been praised for its fine record of good governance and economic growth. The House of Nationalities (HoN) is built on the promise that the cultural diversity of the south Sudanese is their biggest wealth. A national identity of any region or country is built through languages and cultures. Thus, for the sustainability of peace and development within a given post-conflict society, it is of prime importance to respect the two. The guiding principles for the house once fully established is that all sixty-two ethnic communities found in south Sudan would be represented in the House as well as a total of ninety communities. Its objectives include: protecting the identity of all ethnic communities (nationalities) living in the south Sudan, promoting reconciliation between the ethnic communities and preparing the way to development by mobilizing traditional structures and enhancing values for modernization 5. Challenges Considering that Southern Sudan is a large country, some of the challenges it is experiencing during its primary stages in the post-conflict reconstruction process include: socio-economic problems, facing and overcoming the element of the tragic past history and handling trauma and traumatized communities/individuals. An immediate challenge that the peace commission faces includes developing the capacities of both its human resource and institutional phases as it needs to have representation at least within county, payam and boma levels of governance to handle the after effects of the 22 years of civil war and to exercise its duties within all communities. As much it partners with the CSOs, more support is needed from all players in the peace-building docket regionally as well as internationally. 6. Fundamental issues to be considered when capacity building for peace in the post-conflict society of Southern Sudan - Human Resource Supply and Development, e.g. The supply-demand analysis suggest that potential staff may be available for some of the civil service jobs. But for other professional specialists like medics, lawyers, judges, monitoring and evaluation, etc there seems to be a large gap between supply and demand, i.e. if supply is based on qualifications alone. - Providing counseling training for staff of the peace commission to be able to handle the different responses (i.e. intrusive, denial and acceptance phase) of post-traumatic stress disorder. The difference between trauma and stress is that the latter comes slowly and progressively while the former comes abruptly and the same reaction appears when a similar event happens. Traumatic stress is therefore a reminder of past ordinary stress on an extensive scale. - Socio-economic and political institutional enhancement - Decentralization of resources and devolution of power - Equal participation and continuous dialogue and interfaces between State officials and the grassroots person - Empowerment and provision of alternatives for ex-combatants, ex-child soldiers and other ex-militias 5 The Horn of Africa Centre for Democracy and Development, Civil Society Commission of the SPLM/National Peace and Reconciliation Desk, Sudan Women Voice of Peace, New Sudan Youth Association, Centre for Documentation and Advocacy, New Sudan Council of Churches, New Sudan Indigenous NGOs Netwok and the Federation of Sudanese Civil Society

7 7. The bottom up process: Counter-parts in enhancing the peace and reconciliation in southern Sudan (Convergent International / South - South Network) Convergent International (CI) is an international non-governmental organization incepted in 2004 and is registered in Kenya and Southern Sudan. In the latter, it is a counter-part to South Sudan Peace Commission (formerly, Sudan Peace and Reconciliation Commission) and has been working together to implement peace building programmes for the last three years. South South Network (SSN) is a region-anchored initiative from the global South (i.e Asia, Africa and Latin America) which seeks to develop more effective approaches, instruments and intellectual resources for the constructive engagement of non-state armed groups (NSAGs). SSN also serves as a specialist vehicle to support Southern and internationalist efforts to constructively engage NSAGs in areas of Human Rights, international humanitarian law (IHL), conflict-resolution, peace-building, human security and development. CI is the leading organization in spearheading the SSN Africa region, which has seen South Sudan Peace Commission being an affiliate member through its positive working relationship for the past years. Through the conglomeration of international expertise on various fields and shared experiences from the southern hemisphere, southern Sudan has and continues to learn from its brothers and sisters in Asia and Latin America. South Sudan Peace Commission is therefore at a vantage point in successful implementation of its peace building programmes effectively upto grassroots level through the capacities being offered by the partnership it has with the CI and on a broader scale, SSN and itself as a government institution. 8. Target groups and beneficiaries for peace building a) Women and Children the needs of children and women must be at the heart of all actions to resolve conflicts and implement peace agreements b) Former child soldiers and young adult combatants c) Active armed groups within the specific post-conflict society which may be a threat to the sustainability of peace 9. Conclusion Sustainability of any peace process depends upon three prime factors: economic, political and social structures. Importance of defining capacity development, peace building and society at their separate levels. Principally, we have seen that when peace-building in a post-conflict society, it is very important to RESPECT THE PEOPLE S (CITIZEN S) FUNDAMENTAL INTERESTS. Similarly, it is of primary importance to clarify and clearly understand the needs on the ground in terms who s reconciling with who, whether at individual or political level. This will help one identify whether to initiate peace and reconciliation programmes based on inter-clan/ethnicity intervention or national or societal interventions. It is therefore important for peace-builders to understand country dynamics in terms of culture. It would be of prime importance as a new approach in southern Sudan peace-building effort, to use the health care component of its ICSS as a strategy. In terms provision of public health care, southern Sudan needs more resources to develop its health sector. Looking at the repatriation, reintegration and resettlement processes taking place, for health care may exceed the supply of human resources to address this issue. For SSPC, the concentric circle approach is quite visible. The political (national) leadership is readily working from the individual to the societal level through a consultative approach with the respective leadership structures at the county, payam and boma levels of governance. In addition, several countries in the southern hemisphere (i.e. Asia, Latin America, etc) have had similar civil wars and have managed to recover during their pos-conflict period. It would be important to identify some of their successful peace and reconciliation strategies and use these as benchmarks to the peace building efforts in southern Sudan.

8 References Anatole, A and Robin-Edward, P., Bound to cooperate: Conflict, Peace and People in Sierra Leone Atieno, C. (ed asst.), Pillars in Recovery: Post conflict reconstruction; Sharing experiences, Best practices and Challenges, 2006, pp. 41. Comprehensive Peace Agreement between Government of Sudan and Sudan People s Liberation Movement/Army, 9 January Costy, A. : Durable Peace; Challenges for Peace building, The Peace Dividend in Mozambique, Interim Constitution of Southern Sudan, December 2005, pp 55. Lombard, K (2004) ; The SA Reconciliation Barometer: Tracking socio-political trends: Opportunities and Obstacles; The State of Reconciliation: Report of the Second Round of the SA Reconciliation Barometer Survey, Rondebosch: Institute for Justice and Reconciliation, May Machel, G., Report on the Impact of Armed Conflict on Children: 10 Key Recommendations, Malan, M., Rakate, P. and Mcintyre, A., Peacekeeping in Sierra Leone: The Truth and Reconciliation Commission, National Unity and Reconciliation Commission: Annual Report of activities, February 1999 June Report on the deliberations by participants to the workshop on Dialogue and Consensus Building in South Sudan: Peace building with a focus on Human Resource in Sudan and Healing of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder, 2005, pp Strategic Plan for Peace and Reconciliation in a Post-Conflict Sudan, SPD-PCS, Workman, W. T. and Delmonte, L. M., The Politics of Regional Conflict: Central America, Southern Africa and the Middle East, 1995.