Devolved Government within the Post-Naivasha Sudanese Constitution: A Key to Sustainable Peace in Darfur

The content of this Concordis paper derives from a consultation which took place in December 2004, in which Sudanese participants examined the potential role played by devolved government in promoting peace in Darfur. Like other Concordis consultations with a focus on Darfur, it was widely recognised that the region has immediate needs which should be fulfilled before more longstanding, root causes of the conflict can be addressed. Particularly important in this regard is the restitution of land to refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs) and the promotion of human security to enable the displaced to return home and resume safe and productive lives. Today, the failure of the Darfur Peace Agreement (DPA) to resolve the crisis in Darfur makes the deliberations and recommendations contained within this paper as relevant as ever. Some of the central themes of the discussions and conclusions on the theme of devolved government in Darfur included the following: • The issue of marginalisation of the Sudanese regions is not unique to Darfur and is not a new phenomenon, having existed since the colonial period and persisting after independence. The marginalisation of Darfur has been experienced particularly in terms of lack access to resources, underinvestment in infrastructural projects and limited educational opportunities. • Structural marginalisation has acted as a catalyst for internal conflict in Sudan. The adverse affects of marginalisation are not only felt in the regions, internal migration and the escalation of conflicts in Darfur have brought negative consequences to the capital and urban areas. • Sudan has a historical legacy of decentralised government at regional levels, lack of commitment from central government, underinvestment and a commitment to political ascendancy has rendered past efforts ineffective. • A persistent lack of respect and understanding of Sudan’s cultural, religious and tribal diversity has also undermined efforts in the past to establish an effective system of decentralisation in Sudan. • Though not fully comprehensive themselves, the principles embodied in the Naivasha Protocols regarding more devolved forms of regional governments should be learnt from and built upon in order to create an appropriate form of decentralised administration in Darfur. A series of recommendations on the theme of devolved government in Darfur deriving from the consultation can be found on pages 4-5.