Sudan: MS past and future in Sudan

MS has always had an interest in southern Sudan

MS Uganda’s Sudan involvement goes back to 1996 when a partnership with EPSR, now EAA was developed aiming at supporting education for the Sudanese refugees in Uganda. At that time even the areas of Sudan near the Ugandan border were entangled in warfare. The SPLA had been pushed back and the number of refugees in Uganda had increased dramatically.

In 1997 it became possible to operate in the southern parts of Sudan. MS Uganda made a survey of the needs and possibilities. This led to the emergence of a partnership with NSEA in 1998. In 1999 Danish secondary school students in Operation Days Work decided to support the joint MS, EPSR, and NSEA in a proposal called, ‘Education - A weapon against oppression’.

There are a number of reasons why MS involved herself in Sudan in the first place. First of all, the people in Sudan have the same right to live in a peaceful, just and democratic society as anyone else. But MS also did so because of the connection to the conflict in Uganda and stability in the region at large. The Lords Resistance Army, found shelter in Sudan and received direct support from the Sudanese government, and both Sudan and Uganda would benefit from co-operating instead of fighting.

MS’s involvement in Sudan was thus closely linked to the programme themes in the 1996 policy paper: Reconciliation, stability, and co-operation with neighbouring countries.

Southern Sudan needs peace

MS will continue to support the peace processes for the benefit of Sudan, Uganda, and the whole region. MS in Denmark has been engaged in Sudan information and advocacy work since 1991 in collaboration with other Danish and European NGOs. By increasing the awareness of the conflict, and convincing politicians to support the Intergovernmental Authority on Development, IGAD peace initiative.

In January, the Comprehensive Peace Agreement was signed and now peace is on paper.

The realities are, however, more complex and in many ways similar to what Uganda has experienced. Internal disagreements, lack of democratic political and administrative culture, and capacity, lack of basic public services and poor infrastructure. The challenges are enormous.

For MS there is no doubt. Sustainable development is only possible with democratic political and administrative management of the resources. Therefore, civic education is the key strategy in the proposed MS activities in Sudan as it is in Uganda. The proposal we have forwarded to Danida is based on expanding the activities of existing MS partners and structures and contacts with Sudanese in Denmark. MS is a small organisation compared with the huge challenges and the large area of Sudan. Our proposal only covers four counties in the southern part of that huge country so there is scope for collaboration with other NGOs and for expanding the activities if they work well and if MS secures funds to get started.