Regional Center on Small Arms and Light Weapons

Sudan

Achievements by Member States to the Nairobi Declaration.

Sudan Related Links
www.smallarmssurvey.org/sudan

Sudan Ratifies the Nairobi Protocol

Sudan becomes the 9th RECSA Member State to ratify the Nairobi Protocol for Prevention, Control and Reduction of Small Arms and Light Weapons in the Great Lakes Region and the Horn of Africa. President Omer Hassan Ahmed Elbashir signed and sealed the Instrument of Ratification on 10th October 2007. The Instrument was deposited at the RECSA Secretariat by the Deputy Ambassador of the Republic of Sudan in Kenya.

The Sudan National Focal Point was officially launched on 12 February 2004.

Following the recent signing of Peace Agreement between the Government and the Sudanese Liberation Movement, a community based “Weapons for development” programme will be nearly launched. This project will promote livelihood restoration and other socio- economic improvements that reduce the demand for weapons and build confidence in the peace process. Major achievement include:

Official Launch of a national office on small arms and light weapons

Major achievements to date

On 12 February 2004 ,The Sudan National Focal Point was officially launched in Khartoum in presence of relevant senior Government Officials with the facilitation of Nairobi Secretariat and Civil society partners. After the launch, a symbolic destruction of illicit firearms was conducted.

On 10 th July 2004 , Sudan National Focal Point in conjunction with its partners organized a forum to commemorate the United Nations Arms Day. Various Ministries and departments attended the forum in addition to UN Representative, Civil society organizations and Traditional Leaders. The UN Arms Day was covered through newspapers, radio and television

Following the recent signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement between the Government and the Sudanese Liberation Movement, a community based “Weapons for development” programme will be launched. This project will promote livelihood restoration and other socio- economic improvements that reduce the demand for weapons and build confidence in the peace process.

Following the recommendations on the Sudanese Cabinet of Ministers, the Minister of Interior appointed a higher Committee for collecting the illegal firearms from all the States of Sudan. The Committee is on the way to prepare a plan of action to collect these arms from Darfur region beside a DDR programme for this region

From 8 th to 9 th February 2005 , the workshop on structure, organization and daily management of Sudan NFP was held in Khartoum with the facilitation of Nairobi Secretariat and civil society organizations :SRIC, SaferAfrica and Saferworld

H.E. Ali Abdelrahman Nimary Sharfi, Ambassador of the Republic of the Sudan to Kenya, signing the 3rd Ministerial Declaration, in June 2005, Nairobi.

Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration (DDR) Programme in the Sudan
Regarding the DDR process in Sudan an Interim Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration Programme (IDDRP) was developed for the period of the 1 st July 2005 – 30 th June 2006 .

Objective and guiding principles:
The design and implementation of on articulated DDR programme in a country in transition towards peace and stability after along internal conflict like Sudan is both challenging and ambitious.

The following guiding principles form the basis for the interim DDR programme(IDDRP) these principles also serve to high light some of the core issues around which the national programme will be developed and implemented :-

National ownership of all stakeholders, at both national and local levels.

Community driven approach:
The programme will need to be Community – driven and conducted in close coordination within the broader development and recovery frameworks.

Gender inclusive approach:
This programme aims to ensure a process that is gender inclusive throughout. This will include ensuring the equitable involvement of women at all levels, particularly in positions of decision making throughout the process and at the community level.

Support to special groups:
Although the direct beneficiary of the DDR programme is the entire Sudanese society in the terms of enhancement of human security, priority and special attention will be given to the special groups (children, girls and women associated with armed force and groups, physically and mentally disabled former combatants – including war traumatized.

Broader social Reconciliation:
The DDR programme will link closely with broader reconciliation initiative.

Balancing Equity and security:
The purpose of this balance is to reinforce the approach that former combatants are target groups, but communities are the ultimate beneficiaries of the results of DDR

Capacity building:
The capacity building Of national and local institutions, communities and civil society organizations to effectively participates in the overall DDR process.

Responsiveness to disparate and changing conditions:
An appropriate degree of flexibility to respond to the disparities of emerging realities and needs will be maintained throughout the DDR process.

Do No Harm:
The programme will strive to avoid negative impacts in communities in relation to potential or current conflict or insecurity.

Regarding Arms Reduction and control Activities, the following guiding principles will apply:

Do No Harm:
These activities should be designed and implemented in such a way so as to be safe, controlled, transparent, sustainable and replicable.

Incremental approach:
The process must be carried out incrementally according to comprehensive sub-national arms reduction and control (ARC) plans that must be created by the parties and coordinated between them with the assistance of UNDDR.

Operating within legal frameworks:
ARC activities should take place according to the laws of government of Sudan , and should comply with legally binding international legal instruments to which Sudan is a party, specifically including the Nairobi Protocol.

Rights / community / Gender based approaches,

A coordinated approach among actors:

Partnerships and coordination will be of paramount importance to the long-term success of the DDR process, particularly around reintegration.

An integrated UN mission approach to DDR will be implemented, while strong and effective coordination mechanisms between other international partners and national counterparts will be built and supported. Coordination with key civil society actors will also be a priority in planning through implementation.

Goal and Objectives of IDDRP
The overall goal of the DDR process in the Sudan is to enhance security through disarmament, demobilization and sustainable reintegration of former combatants and special groups and the promotion of community security and arms control.

The main objective of the IDDRP is to set up and build of DDR institutions and civil society, while initiating basic disarmament, demobilization and reintegration process for selected priority target groups. Its successful development and implementation will lay the groundwork for the development and future implementation of a multi-year DDR programme, which will complete the DDR process.

In terms of arms control within the IDDRP, the parties and UNDDR will create a programme to establish controls over small arms and light weapons and ammunition in the ceasefire zone, with the parties of the comprehensive peace agreement (CPA), other armed groups (OAGs), popular defense force (PDF), and civilians.

Specific objectives of the IDDRP include:

Necessary research and assessments for IDDRP programme design and implementation completed.

Registration and screening of former combatants and special groups completed.

Mechanisms for the equal access of women combatants in registration and screening developed and implemented.

Public information through sensitization and awareness raising campaigns underway.

Capacity of national DDR institutions developed to effectively manage DDR programme.

Reintegration framework for DDR approved.

Preparation for force reduction negotiations and planning within SSR/SST framework.

Support to mediation, integration, demobilization process related to OAGs.

DDR support to special groups.

RECSA spearheads and organizes Operational and Capacity Building Activities in Sudan namely; a Sensitization Exercise of Senior Law Enforcement Officers; Training of Trainers for Law Enforcement and; Development of Country Specific Training Programme (TOT).
November 22-29, 2006
Police Home, Khartoum, Sudan

RECSA carried out activities on Capacity Building for Law Enforcement Activities. This was the first port of call of the roll of activities. It also involved capacity building targeting senior officials of those government ministries, departments and agencies that are involved in the prevention, control, management and resolution of the problem of the proliferation of SALW.

The Senior Management Sensitization Workshop was a one day affair and the participants were drawn from Ministries, Departments and Agencies that constitute the National Focal Point body, others were drawn from regional offices and relevant national institutions.

The purpose of the sensitization workshop was to;

Equip Senior Management and Practitioners in Sudan with the necessary skills to implement the Nairobi Protocol, Nairobi Declaration, and other relevant regional and international instruments as part of a multi-dimensional program.

The Capacity-Building for the Law Enforcement agencies was planned pursuant to the Extra-Ordinary Council of Ministers-approved RECSA Work Plan 2006-2011. This was to enhance the capacity of law enforcement agencies to prevent, combat and reduce the illicit proliferation of SALW as agreed at Nairobi on 20th and 21st of April 2004 on the occasion of the 2nd Ministerial Review Conference and the 20th and 21st of June 2005 on the occasion of the 3rd Ministerial Review Conference of the Nairobi Declaration on the problem of the proliferation of SALW in the Great Lakes Region and the Horn of Africa.

The overall objective of the consolidated Sudan activities was therefore to;

Critically map out and explain to the concerned participants the extensive list of responsibilities and functions that the NFPs perform in line with the UNPoA, Bamako Declaration and the Nairobi Declaration.

The recommendations made were nominally;

A recommendation that the Sudan NFP should be assisted and encouraged to start pre-mapping activities. This involves substantial training and capacity building activities ranging from basic planning skills, inter-agency co-ordination techniques, theoretical aspects of arms management and disarmament, an in-depth understanding of the instruments governing the mapping process and also ensuring sustainability and inclusiveness.

It was also observed that since the NFPs do have a mandate cutting across international, regional coordination and liaison functions, their structure/composition and functions need to reflect their mandate. Responsibilities in addition need to reflect national realities and requirements. It was noted that this is important because the NFP Secretariat has experienced problems concerning non-utilization of fully consolidated offices of the coordinator, adequate human resources thereof coupled with financial and fixtures hurdles. This also involves a need for incepting skills and expertise and interagency cooperation.