## ![](media/image1.png){width="0.9951388888888889in" height="0.9951388888888889in"}

## Office of Transition Initiatives 

**Bureau for Democracy, Conflict and Humanitarian Assistance**

## United States Agency for International Development

+----------------------+---------------------------+-------------------+
| **Hot Topic**        | **Southern Sudan**        | ####              |
|                      |                           | ##  December 2002 |
+----------------------+---------------------------+-------------------+

#### PROGRAM DESCRIPTION 

Since 1983, an estimated two million Sudanese have died as a result of
the protracted conflict, drought and famine. In the past year, however,
several positive developments within Sudan have occurred, providing new
opportunities to finally resolve Africa's longest war and move the
country to a lasting peace. In addition to several successful local
level people-to-people peace processes, the Government of Sudan (GOS)
and the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) appear on the brink of
a peace agreement for which significant high-level U.S. government
engagement is credited. OTI plans to link ongoing southern Sudanese
peace processes and peace-building efforts to initiatives that promote
good governance practices to increase the participation of southern
Sudanese in their governing structures. OTI's program focuses on
critical transition issues in southern Sudan such as increasing access
to balanced information, promoting good governance, providing conflict
resolution expertise in areas vulnerable to violence, and supporting
people-to-people peace processes.

#### ALL-NUBA CONFERENCE 

![](media/image2.png)OTI provided a \$102,000 grant to the British NGO
Christian Aid to help sponsor the All-Nuba Conference. From December 2
to 5, 2002, some 380 representatives from a broad spectrum of Nuban
civil and political society gathered in Kauda, Sudan. Participants came
from across Sudan with nearly 40 % coming from areas under the control
of the Government of Sudan. Others traveled from Europe and North
America to attend and a number of international facilitators,
journalists, and observers, including representatives from the Norwegian
Foreign Affairs Department, the Carter Center, and the Joint Military
Commission, were present.

The Conference illustrated the importance of enabling a wide cross
section of Nuba civil society to come together to openly discuss the
critical issues confronting the region. Key outcomes of the conference
included:

-   Dissolution of all four Nuba political parties and formation of one
    new "United Sudan National Party" (USNP), under the Presidency of
    Bishop Phillip Abbas and the vice-presidencies;

-   Unequivocal commitment of the SPLM/A leadership to the centrality of
    the Nuba Mountains Region in all on-going peace negotiations;

-   Endorsement of the IGAD process as the means to negotiate a just and
    secure peace for the Regions of Nuba Mountains, Southern Blue Nile
    and Abyei, but only as part of a comprehensive settlement for the
    whole of Sudan;

-   Clear mandate given by the Conference to the SPLM/A to negotiate on
    behalf of the Nuba people in the IGAD peace process, and for the new
    USNP to play an active role in all such negotiations;

-   Strong commitment of all participants to an on-going process of
    unification among the Nuba people aimed at further developing both
    their shared vision of a just future and their capability of
    achieving it.

Additional resolutions were generated that sought to articulate the
essential conditions of a just and secure peace settlement for the Nuba
people and the guiding principles for the future of a united Nuban
society. The conference further contributed momentum for people-led
political processes as a means of promoting peaceful, democratic change.