# S UDAN 

# : P OLICY 

# R ECOMMENDATIONS

BY THE 

# U.S. C OMMISSION ON


# I NTERNATIONAL 

# R ELIGIOUS 

# F REEDOM

February 2009

U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom 800 North Capitol Street, NW

Suite 790 Washington, DC 20002

202

- 523

- 3240

202

- 523

- 5020 (fa x)

www.uscirf.govSUDAN: POLICY RECOMM ENDATIONS BY THE

U.S. COMMISSION ON I NTERNATIONAL RELIGIO US FREEDOM

U.S. leadership has been crucial to preserve the substantial gains for peace that have been made

in Sudan. Central to these gains is the Compreh ensive Peace Agreement (CPA). Given this history of U.S. leadership and the importance to peace of the CPA, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom makes the following recommendations that reflect findings from a public hearing on Sudan he l d on September 24, 2008 and a visit to Southern Sudan in

October 2008.

Although the Darfur conflict has dominated international attention on Sudan, the Commission believes that the CPA provides a model for ending the deliberate marginalization of all of Sudan's regions with non

- Arab or non

- Muslim populations by an unrepresentative elite drawn from a handful of tribes in the Khartoum region. The success of the CPA thus is crucial to achieve lasting peace in Darfur and prevent potential conflicts in other regions.

Commission recommendations on U.S. Sudan policy that focus on improving religious freedom conditions in Northern Sudan and promoting peace in the western region of Darfur can be found

in the Sudan chapter of the Commission's May 2008 Annual Report, available on

- line at www.uscirf.gov

.

I. Using the position of Special Envoy for Sudan to focus U.S. diplomacy on the successful implementation of the CPA

In order to maintain the leve l of U.S. eng agement during the early part of the new U.S. Administration, the U.S. government should:

**•** As soon as possible, appoint as Presidential Special Envoy for Sudan a nationally prominent individual who enjoys the trust and confidence of the President and the S ecretary of State and whose sole responsibility is coordinating U.S. efforts toward the complete and timely implementation of the CPA and securing a just and lasting peace for all of Sudan, including in Darfur;

**•** Ensure that who ever holds the position of S pecial Envoy has the bureaucratic authority, the appropriate personnel, and other support needed for success;

**•** Build on past efforts by the Special Envoy to enlist international support for peace in Sudan, including by China and other nations with a major stake in access to Sudan's natural

resources.

II . Encouraging the parties to successfully implement the CPA

The U.S. government should:**•** Insist on the full implementation of the CPA ( including power

- sharing, wealth

- sharing, respect for human rights, democratic accountability through elections, resolution of the Abyei issue, and the 2011 referenda ) as the agreed basis for North

- South peace and a model for political accommodation of legitimate grievances in other regions such as Darfur;

**•** Help ensure t hat the parties conduct the national, Southern, and state elections mandated by the CPA, minimizing any delay to what is genuinely required by practical considerations such as the rainy season in the South; insist that these elections be free and fair, tha t adequate security be provided to enable participation by all eligible voters regardless of religious or ethnic background, and that the results be accepted by both the National Congress Party and the Sudan People's Liberation Movement;

**•** R ecogniz e the i mportance of a peaceful resolution of the Abyei issue to continued North

South peace and the role of the United States in formulating the compromise on Abyei that was incorporated in the CPA ; insist upon acceptance by the parties of the findings of the Aby ei Boundaries Commission and implementation of the Abyei Roadmap Agreement;

**•** M ake clear that the United States expects the choice of the people of Southern Sudan, as expressed in a free and fair referendum to be held in 2011 in accordance with the CPA, be respected, whether the people of Southern Sudan choose to either remain in Sudan or be indepen dent.

III . Protecting civilians

To prevent violence against civilians ( including mass atrocities and genocidal acts ) that would result from renewed conflict, th e U.S. government should:

**•** T ake the steps necessary to make feasible the establishment of various security guarantees for Southern Sudan in order to deter Khartoum from renewing the North

- South civil war or otherwise impose its will by force in violation o f the CPA;

**•** P rovide Southern Sudan with the technical assistance and expertise or other capacity it might need to bolster professionalization of the Sudan People's Liberation Army, such as International Military Education and Training (IMET), and secure ra dar, communications, and other passive, defensive equipment, as appropriate, to improve the South's ability to detect air attacks and therefore reduce civilian casualties;

**•** Support the Government of Southern Sudan's current, active efforts toward disarmame nt, demobilization, and reintegration of Southern Sudan's many ex

- combatants.

IV . Strengthening reconciliation and the rule of law in Southern Sudan

The U.S. government should:**•** U tilize existing social institutions, including indigenous religious bodies that have special expertise and a demonstrated commitment in the areas of inter

- religious and inter

- ethnic reconciliation and conflict prevention, to promote a peaceful civil society;

**•** C ontinue and strengthen existing programs through the State Department 's Bureau of

International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs to improve the professional competence and human rights performance of Southern Sudan's police and security forces;

**•** E xpand U.S. assistance to the court system in Southern Sudan, which is in dire need of training, reference materials, improved court security, and facilities; encourage greater involvement by the U.S. private sector, including professional associations, law schools, and corporations, in this effort;

**•** P rovide scholarships to pr omising students to attend law school in the United States under the requirement that they return home at the completion of their training to build a modern legal system in Southern Sudan, including a law school with an advanced curriculum built upon democ ratic principles

, but targeted to the needs of the area;

**•** A ssist the Southern Sudan Human Rights Commission in developing its capacity to monitor and investigate human rights abuses and to promote respect for internationally recognized human rights, includ ing freedom of religion or belief.

V. Building a successful indigenous economy in Southern Sudan

The U.S. government should:

**•** S upport the creation of an effective banking system in Southern Sudan, recognizing that such

a system is crucial for the South 's economic development and political stability;

**•** E ncourage U.S. private investment in Southern Sudan while ensuring that U.S. sanctions on Sudan are targeted more effectively in support of U.S. diplomatic efforts to ensure a just and lasting peace in all of Sudan;

**•** Expand U.S. educational assistance, including building the capacity of the University of Juba, to enhance Southern Sudanese expertise in agriculture, business, law, and other areas to support development efforts;

**•** P romote agricultural developm ent in Southern Sudan with the goal of promoting greater food security;

**•** Expand provision of U.S. assistance going through indigenous civil

- society, private

- sector

groups and provide appropriate technical assistance to enable such groups to prepare projec t proposals for U.S. grants;**•** Explore providing the Sudan People's Liberation Army with needed technical expertise and capacity , such as in road construction and other public works, to assist in creating an infrastructure that bolsters economic developmen t;

**•** W hile recognizing the urgent need for continued U.S. assistance for returning refugees and internally displaced persons, begin shifting from humanitarian to development assistance in order to enhance the economic viability and political stability of So uthern Sudan in anticipation of the 2011 referendum on the South's political future.

VI . Expanding U.S. diplomacy capacity in Southern Sudan

The U.S. government should:

**•** Enhance the facilities and personnel resources of the U.S. Consulate General in Jub a in order to support increased U.S. engagement and programming in Southern Sudan.