Nairobi Declaration calls for political change in eastern Sudan

At the occasion of the tenth anniversary of the Eastern Sudan Peace Agreement (ESPA), Sudanese civil society leaders met in the capital of Kenya to discuss the current situation in the region.

Between 24-26 October, civil society leaders from the three eastern Sudanese Red Sea, El Gedaref, and Kassala states and representatives of Sudanese political and civil society organisations, including the Civil Society Initiative coalition, participated in the “strategic consultation meeting” organised by the Sudan Democracy First Group (SDFG) in Nairobi.

“The aim of the meeting was to identify a shared vision and objectives for civic actors in eastern Sudan which would enhance collaboration and boost their capacity to achieve positive political and societal change both for the region and at the national level,” the SDFG reported in a statement on Sunday.

The meeting concluded with the adoption of a set of recommendations and a joint programme entitled The Nairobi Declaration for Change in Eastern Sudan.

The recommendations involved governance, power sharing, and relationship with the centre; wealth, resources and development; security, immigration and borders, and issues of identity, and social and cultural relations.

“The continuing economic marginalisation of the region was caused by the dominance and control of the centre, with the wasting of resources and donor contributions, which rarely reach the targeted populations.”

A special working group was established to develop and implement an awareness-raising programme among the eastern Sudanese concerning the need for their full involvement in the process of bringing stability and change in the region.

Platform

The participants agreed that the ESPA, signed in 2006, has “utterly failed” to solve the crises in the eastern region, as “Vital questions of power sharing and the relationship with the centre were reduced to individualist trading over government positions, blocking achievement of the core objectives of the agreement to ensure development, security and political participation for eastern Sudan’s people.”

They therefore called for the creation of a new negotiating platform which would address the various issues in eastern Sudan “as part of a comprehensive approach to the country’s multiple crises”.

Such a platform would include eastern Sudanese political and civil forces, as well as Sudanese experts in the fields of security, economics, development, and federal governance. It should discuss an appropriate effective system of governance for the region, including determining the relation with the centre, and enhancing political participation, SDFG reports.

Security

Fifteen major security threats were identified as priorities to be addressed if “a just and lasting peace and stability” is to be achieved in eastern Sudan.

The threats include the occupation of some areas by neighbouring countries, violations of maritime laws and blatant assaults on disappearing marine resources, the arming of local militias to create divisions between communities, and the nationalisation of thousands of stateless foreigners in a deliberate attempt to change the demographic composition of the region, the statement reads.

“Reality requires that local communities and leaders be involved in the assessment of the impact migration—and migration responses—on their daily lives.” 

The Khartoum Process

The increasing international engagement in the context of the EU-Horn of Africa Migration Route Initiative (Khartoum Process) was discussed as well. It was noted that the international and national actors have ignored the people of eastern Sudan themselves, and concluded that migration must be dealt with in the context of the transnational organised criminal networks involved in arms dealing, human trafficking, and the trade in human organs.

“These realities require that local communities and leaders be involved in the assessment of the impact migration—and migration responses—on their daily lives, and that they actively participate in the development of policies and mechanisms to eradicate crime and protect human lives.”

Natural resources

The participants further commented on the use of natural and environmental resources in eastern Sudan. They affirmed that “the continuing economic marginalisation of the region, including the failure of the Eastern Development Fund, was caused by the dominance and control of the centre, with the wasting of resources and donor contributions, which rarely reach the targeted populations.”

They recommended that “at least 50 per cent of the revenue of national institutions and projects in the region be allocated to support the development of the region, in addition to a percentage contribution from the national income that sufficiently reflects the need for positive discrimination in favour of the greater East”.