Resident Coordinator's Office

Joint Weekly Report
Sudan
25 February - 1 March 2007

Southern Kordofan

Situation Analysis
More information from the third Traditional Leaders Conference of the Nuba Mountains that took place in Dilling is now available. The conference slogan was ‘Respect for cultural diversity as the basis of peace’ which culminated in the setting up of a non-political body called the Native Administrative Council. The Council adopted a constitution with one hundred members (75 men and 25 women) from nine localities and four ‘SPLM counties’. The focus of the meeting was mainly on land reform and the role of the traditional leaders with regard to the prevention, management and resolution of tribal conflicts. The executive body of the council will meet monthly with a general assembly meeting for all members once a year. (Note: This information is based on a report from UNMIS Civil Affairs Officers who attended the conference).

Security Assessment
Flash points to watch:

    1. Kharasana town (between Keilak and Higlig). An area where tension is rising between SAF and SPLA units as well as a number of affiliated Other Armed Groups.
    2. Abu Gebeiha town (SE of Rashad). Tension remains high after an incident on 13th March when a former SPLM soldier threw a hand grenade into a crowd at the market place as he attempted unsuccessfully to flee from security forces.
    3. Kwaib and Tungoli towns (Northern part of eastern Jebels). Tension still high after a commercial truck was ambushed on 16th February that led to the death of two SPLA soldiers. Local SPLA commanders blamed nomads for the robbery and the murder.
    4. Uncertainty surrounds the outcome of various visits by representatives from the SPLM to the Shahama group massing in the El Debib area in sector VI. Some media reports have suggested that the group is now aligned with the SPLM although verification of this is not possible. A report from the UNMOs this week once again recorded the movement of SAF tanks into Muglad. 

Recovery and Development
Negotiations between the RCO on behalf of the UN State Team with HAC/SRRC in Kadugli about the monthly interagency planning meeting continue. Agreements in principle have been reached with both the Ministry of Investment and Economy and HAC/SRRC on the outline format of a monthly two-day planning meeting although due to the parliamentary meeting in Al Fula during the first week of April it is unlikely that any date will be possible for the event before mid-April. The RCO will report back the outcomes of the meetings to the UN State Team on Sunday 25th March. In the meantime the RCO is advertising a national post for a ‘Coordination and Analysis Officer’ who will work alongside the Director General of the Ministry of Economy and Investment on the preparations and post meeting follow up of the monthly planning meeting. Also the RCO has deployed an international Deputy Head of Office to Kadugli as part of an effort to reinforce the RCO’s capacity to support the Ministry of Economy and Investment to make the planning meeting a reliable and robust monthly event. It is hoped that once consensus is reached the many monthly sector meetings will be condensed and regulated through the regular monthly two-day event that will be led by the Director Generals of the key ministries with support from the UN sector leaders.

Humanitarian
According to the latest verification exercise there are 778 IDPs in the holding area in Kauda. The figure remains contentious because the IDP chairman continues to report that there have been no changes in the IDP population and the figure remains at 1,013.. The Chairman indicated that resettlement in Kumbor was not their preference and their wish was to improve the conditions of their current location next to the former way station, until at least conditions in Darfur were such that they could return. The Commissioner of Rashad continues to seek ways to get international support for the resettlement of the IDPs in Kumbor.     

The RCO visited a number of NGOs in the Kauda area including the Nuba Relief Rehabilitation and Development Organisation (NRRDO) that unexpectedly expressed the intention to expand their operations soon into areas that were not under the administrative control of the SPLM. It was also noted that NRRDO was trying to establish itself as a ‘mainstream’ NGO that wished to work within the spirit of the CPA and not be restricted to the previous restrictions of SPLM/GoS military lines within Southern Kordofan.

Key forthcoming Events/Meetings/Missions

  1. 25th March -UNST
  2. 25th March -UN Security Management Team
  3. 25th March -NGO security management Team

 

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