 |
|
Fast
Facts: |
Project
document and reports available
upon request |
Location: |
Abyei |
Duration: |
January
2005 - December 2008 |
Focus
area: |
Crisis
Prevention and Recovery |
Contributions(USD): |
NET:
2,046,110.06
DFID: 3,256,704.98 |
Partners: |
•
Non Governmental Organizations
(NGOs) • Community Based
Organizations (CBOs) •
Civil Society Organizations (CSOs)
• Local Authorities and
Technical Units (LAs & LTUs)
• UNMIS and UN specialized
agencies |
Delivery(USD):
|
2007:
1,079,149.77
2008: 1,074,144.91 |
Contact
person in UNDP: |
Gul
Mohammad Fazli
Programme Manager
gul.fazli@undp.org
|
|
Background
Under the Comprehensive
Peace Agreement (CPA), Abyei, Blue
Nile State, and South Kordofan State/Nuba
Mountains were given the special
status of so-called “Protocol
Areas,” with power being shared
along predetermined lines.
Situated along the north-south border
of Sudan, Abyei, together with the
Nuba Mountains and Blue Nile, is
one of the Protocol Areas. Abyei
has suffered tremendously from over
twenty years of conflict, which
has taken a heavy toll on lives
of the communities there.
Before signing the CPA, in May 2004
the Government of the Sudan (GoS)
and the Sudan People’s Liberation
Movement/Army (SPLM/A) first signed
a special Protocol on Abyei. The
2004 Protocol defines Abyei as a
bridge between the north and the
south, linking the people of Sudan.
The territory is defined as the
area of the nine Ngok Dinka chiefdoms
transferred to Kordofan in 1905.
The Misseriya and other nomadic
peoples retain their traditional
rights to graze and move across
the territory of Abyei.”
Following the signing of the CPA,
Abyei became a gateway for returnees,
especially for Dinka, Ngok and Twic
people. Up to May 2008, , more than
60,000 returnees have resettled
in Abyei, about fifteen new villages
were re-established in the area,
and several markets were either
expanded or opened. However, due
to the conflict, the Abyei area
suffered greatly from a lack of
access to basic social services
such as drinking water, schools
and health facilities, as well as
from the absence of governance and
rule of law institutions. This has
made the resettlement process very
challenging for the returning population.
The 14 May 2008 outbreak of violence
between SPLA and SAF, left Abyei
Town almost completely destroyed
and more than 50,000 residents of
Abyei became IDPs fleeing to the
South and to the North villages.
The dispute culminated in the signing
of the “The Road Map for the
Return of IDPs and the Implementation
of the Abyei Protocol” which
specifically seeks to address issues
related to security arrangements,
IDPs return, interim arrangements
for the Abyei Administration and
arrangements for final settlements.
Further, the area has not had an
administration in place since the
signing of the CPA. Over the last
three years, a combination of Security
Organs, SSRRC/HAC and traditional
authorities and non-agreed administration
have been filling this role partially.
With the new Administration soon
to be sworn in, GoNU and GoSS support
is anticipated. The main challenges
in Abyei for 2008 are the return
and settlement of the displaced
people, reconstructing Abyei town;
managing the ethnic tensions that
were heightened during the recent
fighting; and supporting this new
administration to set up and function.
In January 2005, with the support
of the Netherlands, DFID, USAID,
UNDP launched the Recovery of Abyei
Area through the Good Governance
and Poverty Reduction project. The
three-year initiative is articulated
around three interrelated components:
the Rule of Law, Governance and
Recovery and Reintegration. The
programme was extended for another
year with additional financial support
from UNDP to complete the ongoing
activities, rehabilitate the UNDP
premises and lead the recovery framework
for Abyei after the May 2008 conflict
between the parties.
Objectives
The project’s main objective
is to support initiatives for the
recovery and reintegration process
in the Abyei Area. The specific
objectives of the project are:
• To improve the welfare of
the people living in the project
area through area recovery and support
to livelihoods.
• To strengthen local authorities
and civil society to support area
recovery and peaceful coexistence
through the rule of law and good
governance.
• To empower communities to
exercise their rights, and resolve
conflict through both customary
and statutory mechanisms.
Snapshots
of the project's major achievements
• Facilitated and financed
the development of the Abyei Area
Road Map..
• Rehabilitated a total of
8 water yards in and around Abyei
Area; installed 15 water distribution
points in Abyei Town; trained 20
water caretakers in the area.
• Provided containers for
garbage and supported the construction
of latrines in Abyei Town.
• Rehabilitated 4 primary
schools in Abyei and Meiram towns
and provided school furniture to
2 schools in Abyei Town.
• Completed the construction
of 10 schools in the new returnee
villages and expanded 4 schools
by constructing additional classrooms,
offices and latrines.
• Constructed six grinding
millhouses and equipped the houses
with grinding mills;rehabilitated
4 mills and completed refresher
training for new committee members
of the mills.
• Provided six-months’
support to the electricity supply
of Abyei Town.
• Rehabilitated the Abyei
Town Hospital and Meiram Town Clinic.
• Constructed 2 women’s
community centres in Todaj and Agok,
and supported 6 months of skills
training for women in tailoring,
tie-dye, crocheting (40 in Todaj
village and 60 in Agok Town and
40 in Abyei Town).
• Constructed/rehabilitated
short roads in Abyei Town.
• Completed the construction
of a slaughter house in Abyei Town.
• Supported the peace-building
activities through provision of
sports gear to the youth of Abyei.
• Started the construction
of Abyei Town Bus Station (an on-going
activity).
• Rehabilitated the Joint
Offices of the South Sudan Relief
and Rehabilitation Commission (SSRRC)
and Humanitarian Affairs Commission
(HAC) in Abyei and Agok; provided
necessary office equipment and furniture
and trained their staff in management
and monitoring.
• Constructed a traditional
courthouse in Abyei Town; the courthouse
was equipped through an in-kind
donation from USAID/OTI; court officials
were trained in basic computer skills.
• Constructed a Justice and
Confidence Centre (JCC) to initiate
legal aid activities; trained 16
members of the Abyei Human Rights
Group (AHRG), who attended a national
Legal Aid training workshop in Khartoum
in March 2007, conducted a one-day
workshop to educate other group
members.
• Established the first Human
Rights group in Abyei and provided
weekly training sessions on international
standards on Human Rights; the Human
Rights group conducted awareness
sessions in Abyei, Agok and the
surrounding villages.
• Constructed two new police
stations in Abyei and Agok towns
and rehabilitated the holding cells
of the old police station in Abyei
Town.
• Provided office equipment
and stationery for Abyei and Agok
police stations.
• Jointly with UN Police,
concluded the first ten-day Police
Basic Training Course for a total
of 168 members of the new Abyei
Joint Integrated Police Unit (JIPU).
• Conducted 7 community police
training workshops: 5 in Abyei and
2 in Agok.
• With the UN Police, implemented
a 3-week basic computer training
course for four members of the Agok
police staff, also handed over community
policing supplies to Abyei and Agok
police.• Conducted two symposiums
on the Concept of Rule of Law in
Abyei and Agok.
• Undertook 2 community policing
workshops on health and hygiene
(as it relates to detainees) and
an overview of community policing
for 14 community members from surrounding
areas.
• Conducted training
on Human Rights and Rule of Law
in collaboration with the International
Rescue Committee (IRC).
• Conducted two studies on
customary law and traditional justice
in Abyei.
• Facilitated the Abyei Human
Rights Society - Strategic Planning
Workshop in Abyei.
•.Provided office furniture
to the traditional leader’s
office and tradition court in Al
Muglad and Al Meiram towns.
• Supported the Census
team to undertake census publicity
and awareness in Abyei and surrounding
areas.• Completed a mapping
exercise to identify active Civil
Society Organizations and Government
structures/organizations in Abyei
Area.
• Strengthened the traditional
authorities’ capacity building
on working with agencies to implement
development projects, undertake
advocacy on behalf of its members
and to engage the local government,
once in place, on accountability
to the people.
• Coordinated the civil society
to form an Abyei Civil Society Network
and established a local network
for CSOs and women, and provided
technical and operational support
for 20 CSOs and CBOs.
• Provided stationary to the
CSOs as part of the capacity building
support.• Organized a gender
mainstreaming event in Abyei and
supported the women’s manifesto
to advocate for the increased participation
of women in decision-making, launched
on International Women’s Day
in 2007
• Jointly with the UNMIS
Human Rights Division supported
the celebration of the International
Women’s Day 2008 in Abyei
Town.
• Organized/supported 3 peace-building
conferences for the leaders of the
Dinka Ngok and Misseriya nomads
to discuss matters pertaining to
the annual migration.
• Supported the Abyei Technical
Committee on Education to convene
a two-day forum on community participation
in education. The forum successfully
met its objectives; to create awareness
of community participation in decision-making
and management of schools and to
collect views on the terms of reference
for PTAs in schools. • Supported
the preparation of the Abyei Human
Rights Group (AHRG) constitution.
• Carried out a two-day constitution
writing session as part of capacity
building for AHRG.
• Organized a training
of trainers (ToT) session for 30
women members of AHRG. The session
was centred on the function and
skills of paralegals in the community.
Conducted human rights awareness-raising
sessions in local communities neighbouring
Abyei Town.
• Organized a TOKTEN
workshop to introduce the project
to local CSOs and SSRRC/HAC staff.
• Organized two workshops
for local NGOs and community leaders
in Abyei, on management of CSOs
and leaders awareness on Gender
and Women’s Human Rights,
respectively. The second workshop
was a joint initiative of the UNMIS
Human Rights Division and UN Police
in Abyei.
• Supported the Abyei CSO
Network to conduct a two-day workshop
to develop their constitution in
readiness for registration with
SSRRC/HAC. A taskforce comprising
4 local NGOs reviewed the final
draft and disseminated it widely
to the Network membership for validation
and endorsement
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