policy document
The Church of Sweden’s
Position on Sustainable and
Just Peace in and between
Sudan and South Sudan
position paper adopted by the commission for international
mission and diaconia on 23 october 2013.
Summary
The Church of Sweden is part of the worldwide church and is called to work globally and
locally for a whole and just world. As a church and the bearer of a life-affirming theology,
based on the Christian concept of reconciliation regarding healed relationships, we have
special opportunities to dialogue on and work for peace and reconciliation.
The Church of Sweden is working towards sustainable and just peace in and between Sudan
and South Sudan and supports actors who work with non-violent means in their efforts
to bring about peace and reconciliation. Through cooperation with and on the mandate
of our partners, the Church of Sweden wants to conduct policy dialogue that promotes
sustainable and just peace in and between Sudan and South Sudan, within the framework
of international law.
Overall position
The Church of Sweden undertakes to work towards sustainable and just peace in and between Sudan and South Sudan together with sister churches, ecumenical networks and other
partners. Respect for human rights, recognition of human dignity and attainment of reconciliation are prerequisites for such a peace.
Strategic positions
With sister churches, ecumenical networks and other partners, the Church of Sweden intends to conduct policy dialogue with decision makers in Sweden, the EU and the UN, and
private sector actors, based on a number of strategic positions that the Church regards as
essential for sustainable and just peace in and between Sudan and South Sudan:
• The Governments of Sudan and South Sudan comply with peace agreements they have
entered into.
• Humanitarian access to civilians in conflict affected areas in Sudan and South Sudan
is ensured.
• The rights, participation and full involvement of women in peace and reconciliation
processes and nation-building are guaranteed in Sudan and South Sudan.
• The rights, participation and conditions for a safe childhood and adolescence of girls
and boys are provided and protected in Sudan and South Sudan.
• The new constitutions in Sudan and South Sudan include gender justice and respect for
human rights, and are implemented by the responsible governments.
• Human rights defenders in Sudan and South Sudan are protected. Impunity for acts of
human rights violations is unacceptable.
• People whose human rights have been violated as a result of oil extraction during the
civil war in Sudan are given compensation.
• Future extraction of oil in Sudan and South Sudan takes place in accordance with the
UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.
• The Government of Sweden takes an active role in the efforts for peace, democracy and
development in Sudan and South Sudan, bilaterally and through the EU and the UN.
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1. Introduction
Starting point for the Church
of Sweden’s position
The Church of Sweden’s engagement for peace
in Sudan and South Sudan
Working for peace is a core task of the Church. As followers of Jesus Christ, we are sent to build peace. The
Church of Sweden has a holistic view of peace. Fair
and just access to fundamental basic needs and human
rights such as food and water, housing, health and education are foundational elements in a culture of peace.
Strengthening people’s security, opportunities and empowerment to demand their human rights constitutes
an important part in the work for peace. Reconciliation
is an integral part of peace building. Sustainable peace
cannot be achieved without reconciliation. The concept
of reconciliation is a vital element in Christian theology.
Reconciliation is about breaking down evil structures
and restoring broken relationships. When reconciliation
occurs, human dignity is restored.1
The Church of Sweden has a long-standing and strong
engagement with Sudan and its people, and has since
the 1970s, together with partners (see below), worked
towards achieving sustainable development and just
peace throughout Sudan. The importance of promoting peace for all peoples and regions in Sudan (the
“whole Sudan approach”), is based on an analysis by
and appeal from the Sudanese churches that all parts
of the large country have points in common. In 2011
Sudan was divided into two countries after the population in Southern Sudan voted for independence in a
referendum. However, it remains equally important
to view Sudan and South Sudan from an overall perspective. The two countries share a border that is 2000
km long and still disputed and they depend on each other
in various ways, not least regarding the oil resources.
A number of issues that were not resolved before South
Sudan became independent continue to affect the relationship between the two countries. Supported by these
arguments, this position paper addresses both Sudan
and South Sudan.
The Church of Sweden works towards achieving sustainable and just peace in and between Sudan and South
Sudan and supports actors who work with non-violent
means in their efforts to bring about peace and reconciliation. We are called to side with those who are vulnerable, regardless of their ethnicity or religion. In our
view, interfaith dialogue as a necessary component in
a peace and reconciliation process in order to achieve
sustainable and just peace in and between Sudan and
South Sudan. We stand up for those who are discriminated
against, or denied their rights and we support those who
take positive action for peace. The policy dialogue2 that
the Church of Sweden promotes and conducts focusing
on Sudan and South Sudan at local, national, regional
and global levels is an important part of this work. The
aim of this position paper is to clarify the analysis of
the situation in the two countries, on which the policy
dialogue and positions adopted by the Church of
Sweden, is founded.
In the past 40 years the Church of Sweden has worked
together with the Sudan Council of Churches (SCC),3
e.g. on refugee work;4 local and national peace building;
advocacy for peace, human rights and just distribution
of resources, as well as educational initiatives. The New
Sudan Council of Churches (NSCC) was formed in
1990 to enable the churches to work in Southern Sudan.
During the civil war, the churches were among the few
functioning organisations in the civil society. In 1996,
the churches in Sudan, in cooperation with the World
Council of Churches, made an appeal for peace, urging
for an end to the war and for mutual negotiations to be
held instead of attempts to solve the problems through
1 The Church of Sweden, Strategic plan for the Church of Sweden’s international work 2014–2017, Ks 2013/0121, adopted by the Church of
Sweden’s Commission for International Mission and Diaconia, 2013.
2 Policy dialogue is a collective term for the policy and advocacy work by the Church of Sweden.
3 The Sudan Council of Churches was formed in 1967 and encompasses a wide variety of churches, from Catholic and Orthodox to Pentecostal.
See the Church of Sweden, Den långa vägen till fred – om kyrkornas fredsbyggande roll i Sudan, 2006.
4 In the mid-1970s the Swedish Evangelical Mission (SEM) started its work for refugees in Eastern Sudan, when unrest in Eritrea and Ethiopia
forced people to flee to their neighbouring country, Sudan.
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violence. In the statement “Let my People Choose”
(2002) the churches emphasised the right to self-determination, i.e. the right of the peoples in Southern Sudan to
determine their future.5 The churches were key actors in
the peace process, as well as in the run up to the elections
in 2010 and the referendum held in Southern Sudan in
2011. After the end of the civil war, the two councils of
churches were reunited and merged into one. As part of
the division of Sudan into two countries in 2011, a decision was made during the assembly of the council in July
2013 to divide the council into two again.6
The Sudan Ecumenical Forum (SEF) is a network that
was founded in 1994 within the framework of the World
Council of Churches to coordinate and enable lobbying,
in which the Sudanese churches’ voice and demands for
peace and justice were heard outside the country. The
Church of Sweden has played an active part in SEF’s
work and has been a channel through which to convey
the message of SEF in dialogue with the Swedish government regarding the situation in Sudan.7 SEF, together
with churches in Sudan, played a key role in the advocacy
work that led to the peace agreement in 2005.8
Since the 1970s, the Church of Sweden has worked together with the Lutheran World Federation, supporting
humanitarian efforts as well as long-term development
projects within areas of, for example, education, water
and sanitation, and agricultural development, as well as
peace building and reintegration of returning refugees.9
The Lutheran World Federation operates in South
Sudan and focuses its work on development projects in
the conflict-affected state of Jonglei and humanitarian
initiatives, including support to refugees in the border
areas between Sudan and South Sudan.
The Church of Sweden has also supported various projects of humanitarian assistance through ACT Alliance,
for example in Darfur. Together with ACT Alliance
members, the Church of Sweden has initiated the Local
to Global Protection (L2GP) initiative, intended to
document and promote local perspectives on protection
and survival in major humanitarian crises. Based on
case studies, the L2GP initiative explores what people
living in areas affected by natural disasters and complex
emergencies do to protect themselves. Two of the studies were conducted in the conflict-affected areas of the
Nuba Mountains in South Kordofan in Sudan10 and in
Jonglei, South Sudan.11
At diocesan level, the Diocese of Lund has, since 1995,
a partnership relation with the Diocese of Lui in South
Sudan, the Episcopal Church of Sudan. The partnership
started with South Sudanese internally displaced persons
(IDPs) in Khartoum, but is now entirely concentrated to
the Diocese of Lui. A new cooperation agreement between the Dioceses of Lund and Lui was signed during
the meeting Världens Fest, held in Malmö 2012. The
partnership relation has resulted in several projects in
the Diocese of Lui, including agricultural development
and several education projects for children and adults.
Close cooperation with regular visits and contacts has
been established.12
The Life & Peace Institute (LPI) supports and promotes methods of non-violent conflict transformation
5 The Church of Sweden, Den långa vägen till fred, 2006, 10.
6The Sudan Council of Churches in Sudan and the South Sudan Council of Churches in South Sudan. The Christian councils include many of
the churches in Sudan and South Sudan, such as the Roman Catholic Church, the Episcopal Church of South Sudan and Sudan, the Presbyterian Church of Sudan, the African Inland Church, the Sudan Church of Christ, the Coptic Orthodox Church and the Sudan Pentecostal Church.
7 Through support to the Sudan Focal Point.
8 The Church of Sweden, Den långa vägen till fred, 2006, 11.
9 Refugees who have returned from other countries as well as internally displaced persons (IDPs).
10 Justin Corbett, Learning from the Nuba: Civilian resilience and self-protection during conflict, 2011. The study is available via: http://www.
local2global.info/wp-content/uploads/SK_Nuba_L2GP_report_final.pdf
11 Simon Harragin, South Sudan: Waiting for peace to come. Study from Bor, Twic East & Duk counties in Jonglei, 2011. The study is available
via: http://www.local2global.info/wpcontent/uploads/L2GP_Jonglei_S_Sudan_TR_FINAL.pdf
12 The Church of Sweden, the Diocese of Lund: Kollektändamål till Lui, Sydsudan.
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and is a strategic partner of Church of Sweden, with
programmes in Sudan. The current LPI project in Sudan
focuses on women’s active participation in conflict
transformation at local level.
In 2000–2001 the Church of Sweden implemented a
specific Sudan project focusing on the role of oil in the
conflict and Swedish oil interests.13 This project coincided with the intensive media debate surrounding the
role of Lundin Oil (now called Lundin Petroleum) in
Sudan. The Church of Sweden played an active role in
the debate and pursued the line “peace first, then oil”,
based on a mandate from the churches in Sudan. In
March 2001, the network called European Coalition on
Oil in Sudan (ECOS) was formed, of which the Church
of Sweden was one of the initiators.14 15
The Church of Sweden is part of a network of Swedish
organisations, working in and with Sudan and/or South
Sudan. The aim of the network is to share information
and carry out joint activities. One focus has been to
conduct policy dialogue with the Swedish government
regarding the Swedish development cooperation with
Sudan and South Sudan.16
In the coming programme period of the international
work of the Church of Sweden, 2014–2017, South
Sudan is one of the programme countries, where peace
and reconciliation will be a prioritised policy area.
13 The objective of the project was “on behalf of the Church of Sweden, to gather, process and convey information about the development in
Sudan, focusing especially on Swedish oil interests”. Daniel Uddling, Beskrivning av Sudanprojekt perioden 10 oktober till 28 september
2000-2001, the Church of Sweden’s international department,
14 In May 2001, ECOS launched a manifesto for peace, “Peace first! – Oil fuels war in Sudan,” which was signed by more than 40 European
human rights and church organisations, including Lutherhjälpen.
15 In August 2003, the national level of the Church of Sweden acquired shares in Lundin Petroleum, which were sold in January 2004. The
Financial policy for the Church of Sweden’s national level was adopted in 2006 and updated in 2010.Its ethical investment rules would have
made shareholding in Lundin Petroleum impossible.
16 The network was formed in September 2012 and currently includes the following organisations: Diakonia, the Swedish Fellowship of
Reconciliation (SweFOR), International Aid Services (IAS), Life & Peace Institute (LPI), Operation 1325, PMU, Save the Children and the
Church of Sweden. See article written by the network’s organisations: Regeringens tystnad ohållbar: Ett klart besked om fortsatt svenskt
långsiktigt utvecklingsstöd till Sudan behövs, 25 February 2013, http://www.bistandsdebatten.se/debattartiklar/regeringens-tystnad-ohallbarett-klart-besked-om-fortsatt-svenskt-langsiktigt-utvecklingsstod-till-sudan-behovs/.
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2. 2. The situation in Sudan and South Sudan
The history of Sudan is conflict-ridden. Among the
root causes of the conflicts are marginalisation of
people who live in the peripheries, unequal distribution
of and competition for resources such as water, pasture
land for grazing and oil assets. The religious aspect and
tensions between Christians and Muslims form one of
the factors, where ethnicity and religion have been used
to create discord and dividing lines between people.17
Since the slave trade in the 1800s, when Sudan was
occupied by Egypt, development was furthered in
Northern Sudan, while the southern part of Sudan was
neglected.18 During the negotiations held in preparation
for Sudan’s independence, Southern Sudan was substantially under-represented and felt marginalised. Together
with several other factors, this contributed to growing
demands for independence in Southern Sudan. In 1955,
one year before Sudan became independent from BritishEgyptian rule, the first civil war broke out between
the southern and northern parts of the country.19
After a mediation process, led by the World Council of
Churches and the All African Conference of Churches
(AACC), the parties reached a peace agreement in Addis
Ababa in 1972.20 According to the agreement, Southern
Sudan was to be granted regional independence. However, many parts of the agreement were not fulfilled. In
the 1980s President Nimeiri changed the position of
the border between north and south, divided Southern
Sudan into smaller states and introduced Sharia law in
the country.21 In 1983, the period of relative calm was
broken when the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/
Army (SPLM/A) initiated an armed struggle against the
government in Khartoum.22 The second civil war in
Sudan became the longest in Africa to date and continued until 2005 with an estimated nearly two million
fatalities and four million people forced to flee.23
Oil
Oil was discovered in Southern Sudan in the 1970s and
the first export took place in 1999. The oilfields subsequently played a central role in Sudan and its civil war.
There are also Swedish links to this issue through the
activity of the oil company Lundin Oil in Block 5A in
Unity State. The UN and other organisations and churches raised the alarm about abuses and human rights
violations that followed in the wake of oil extraction.24
In 2001 Christian Aid presented a report with testimonies of how government forces and militia supported
by the government burned down villages and forced
people to flee to make room for the operations of the
oil companies, including Lundin Oil.25 In 2010, ECOS
published a report titled “Unpaid Debt”, which examines the operations of Lundin Oil and two other oil
companies from 1997 to 2003. In the report ECOS
17 Jok Madut Jok, Sudan. Race, Religion and Violence (Oxford: Oneworld Publications, 2007), 5.
18 The Church of Sweden, Den långa vägen till fred, 2006.
19 The Church of Sweden, Den långa vägen till fred, 2006; Jok, Sudan. Race, Religion and Violence, 52, 56, 82.
20 Samuel Kobia, Dialogue Matters. The Role of Ecumenical Diplomacy in the Run-Up to the Independence of South Sudan (Nairobi: All Africa
Conference of Churches, 2013), 1
21 Jok, Sudan. Race, Religion and Violence, 86.
22 According to the SPLM/A and its leader John Garang, the goal of the liberation struggle was not independence for Southern Sudan, but instead
liberation for the entire country from the minority rule of Khartoum. People fought for a “New Sudan”, a secular, united and democratic state,
free of discrimination due to ethnicity, religion or cultural background. SPLM, The Sudan People’s Liberation Movement. Historical Background, http://www.splmtoday.com/docs/SPLM%20docs/SPLM%20historical%20background.pdf, accessed on 10 August 2013.
23 The Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Mänskliga rättigheter i Sudan, 2010, 1.
24 In a statement to the United Nations Commission on Human Rights, Gerhart R. Baum, the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human
rights in the Sudan, said the following: “During my visit I gathered further evidence that oil exploitation leads to an exacerbation of the conflict
with serious consequences on the civilians. More specifically, I received information whereby the Government is resorting to forced eviction of
local population and destruction of villages to depopulate areas and allow for oil operations to proceed unimpeded.” See Gerhard R. Baum,
“Oral Statement on the Human Rights situation in the Sudan by the Special Rapporteur on the situation of Human Rights in the Sudan,” 57th
session of the Commission on Human Rights, 29 March 2001.
25 “In the oil fields and surrounding areas, government forces and government-sponsored militias are carrying out a ‘scorched earth’ policy bent
on emptying the areas of civilians.” Christian Aid, The Scorched Earth. Oil and War in Sudan, 2001, 3.
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suggests that investors in the oil companies should
require the companies to compensate those who have
suffered human rights violations as a result of the oil
extraction.26 The right to compensation is guaranteed
by the peace agreement that was reached in 2005.27 The
churches in Sudan have also pursued the issue of compensation.28 As a result of the ECOS report, in 2010, public
prosecutor Magnus Elving initiated a preliminary investigation into Lundin Petroleum29 about suspected breaches
of international law in Sudan between 1997 and 2003;
this is an extensive investigation that remains ongoing.30
Peace agreements, unresolved issues
and AU mediation
According to the Comprehensive Peace Agreement
(CPA), which was signed on 9 January 2005 by SPLM/A
and the Government of Sudan, a number of issues were
to be solved during a six-year interim period. These
included border demarcation between Northern and
Southern Sudan , how resources, above all oil revenues,
should be shared, the status of disputed areas such as
oil-rich Abyei, South Kordofan and Blue Nile, citizenship issues31 and protection for minorities. Democratic
elections, a new constitution and national reconciliation
were also components in the CPA. One part of the peace
agreement that was central to Southern Sudan was the
right to hold a referendum about its future, where the
choice was between retaining a united Sudan or creating a new independent nation for Southern Sudan. The
interim period included major challenges, without clear
solutions. On 9 January 2011, 99 per cent of the South
Sudanese people voted for independence.32
Just a few months after the referendum, tensions escalated into armed conflicts in the disputed oil-rich
border districts between northern and Southern Sudan.
According to the CPA, a separate referendum was
supposed to have been held in one of these areas, Abyei,
to determine which country the region should belong
to.33 This has, however, not taken place yet since there
has been no agreement on who is entitled to vote. In
May 2011 the Sudanese army moved their troops into
Abyei, which resulted in major destruction and forcing
about 100 000 people to flee the area.34
In South Kordofan and Blue Nile, the majority of the
population supported the SPLM/A during the civil war.
Since the summer of 2011, armed conflicts have been
taking place in these regions between the Sudanese army
and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement North
(SPLM-N). The SPLM-N has united with three of the
rebel groups in Darfur under the Sudan Revolutionary
Front (SFR), with a national agenda, which makes the
conflict even more complex.35 The UN estimates that
26 European Coalition on Oil in Sudan, Unpaid Debt. The legacy of Lundin, Petronas and OMV in Block 5A, Sudan 1997–2003, 2010,70.
27 Comprehensive Peace Agreement, 2005, article 4.5: “Persons whose rights have been violated by oil contracts are entitled to compensation. On
the establishment of these violations through due legal process the Parties to the oil contracts shall be liable to compensate the affected persons
to the extent of the damage caused”. The peace agreement is available via: http://www.southsudannation.com/cpawealthsharing/.
28 Statement of the Sudanese Heads of Churches at the Juba Peoples’ Forum, August 1–5, 2008, 3: “We commit ourselves to advocate and lobby for the
compensation for those displaced by the oil and other commercial interests”. The statement is available via: http://www.cmi.no/sudan/doc/?id=1026
29 Lundin Oil changed its name to Lundin Petroleum in 2001.
30 The Swedish Radio news department, Ekot, Lundin Oil utreds för folkrättsbrott,
http://sverigesradio.se/sida/artikel.aspx?programid=83&artikel=3798223, latest update made on 21 June 2010, accessed on 12 August 2013.
31 For example, the status for the South Sudanese who have migrated to, lived in and grown up in the areas around Khartoum and still live in Sudan.
32 BBC News Africa, “South Sudan referendum: 99% vote for independence,”http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-12317927, latest update
made on 30 January 2011, accessed on 15 August 2013
33 Niklas Eklöv, Vad händer i Sudan? Svenska kyrkans opinionsblogg, 6 July 2011, http://blogg.svenskakyrkan.se/opinion/2011/06/07/vad-hander-i-sudan/:“Geographically, Abyei has often been classed as being part of North Sudan, despite the area being populated by (…) Ngog Dinka,
and has pursued the ambition for over 40 years to belong to Southern Sudan. Nomad tribes belonging to the Misseriya, loyal to Khartoum,
have crossed the area with their livestock at certain times of the year, but have never settled.”
34 Skeppström, Emma, Grannosämja: konflikten mellan Sudan och Sydsudan, FOI Memo 4081, 2012.
35 International Crisis Group, Sudan’s Spreading Conflict (II): War in Blue Nile, Africa Report No. 204, 2013.
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200 000 people have been forced to flee to neighbouring
countries, including South Sudan and Ethiopia, and that
nearly one million people have been affected by the conflicts.36 The humanitarian needs are enormous and international organisations have not been permitted unhindered humanitarian access to the conflict affected areas.37
As a counter-reaction to attacks by Sudan’s army on
South Sudanese territory, South Sudan entered Heglig/
Panthou in April 2012 and took control over the oil
fields in this area. The situation was very precarious and
risked escalating into full-scale war. However, following
pressure, South Sudan withdrew from Heglig/Panthou,
and the African Union (AU) adopted a Road Map to
guide the parties towards a solution to the outstanding
issues. In the AU’s road map, the two countries are also
urged to permit humanitarian access in the two conflict areas South Kordofan and Blue Nile. In September
2012 Sudan and South Sudan, under the auspices of the
AU, signed nine agreements, including on security,38 oil,
trade and status for South Sudanese who live in Sudan
and vice versa.39 The AU has, however, expressed its
deep concern that the implementation of the agreements
is threatened by the continuing disagreement between
the governments of the two countries, in particular
regarding the redeployment of their armed forces and
the allegations of continued support to rebel groups
opposed to the other State.40
Internal challenges in South Sudan and Sudan
While tensions and conflicts continue between Sudan
and South Sudan, the two nations also face major
internal challenges.
south sudan
South Sudan gained independence on 9 July 2011 and
faces the challenge of building a nation in a country
with few functioning political and administrative structures, widespread poverty and very limited access to
health care, education and other social services.41 The
infrastructure is virtually non-existent and the country
is also faced with accommodating the nearly two million South Sudanese people who have returned to their
country and host the large refugee influx from Sudan.42
Corruption43 and internal conflicts have curbed development and constitute a threat to the building of
democracy and peace in this young nation. Journalists
and human rights defenders have reported threats and
harassment by the security service.44
The fact that there are large numbers of arms in circulation45 and that the disarmament processes did not succeed
36UNOCHA, Sudan Humanitarian Update, 3rd Quarter, 2012; Statement by the EU (High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and
Security Policy), 23 April 2013, available via: http://www.eu-un.europa.eu/articles/en/article_13432_en.htm
37 Statement by the Council of the European Union, 23 July 2012: “The EU is deeply concerned about the deteriorating humanitarian situation
in Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile. The EU urges the Government of Sudan to (...) permit immediate unhindered humanitarian access for
international humanitarian agencies to the affected civilian populations in these areas.” The statement is available via:
http://www.consilium.europa.eu/uedocs/cms_data/docs/pressdata/EN/foraff/131967.pdf
38 The security agreement includes the understanding that Sudan and South Sudan shall not support rebel groups in each other’s territory, that
troops shall be unconditionally withdrawn to each side of the border and that a demilitarised buffer zone shall be established. United States
Institute of Peace, The 2012 Sudan South Sudan Agreements through a Gender Lens, 2012, 4.
39 This agreement supports the four freedoms of movement, residence, property ownership and economic activity in both countries. However, the
issue of Abyei’s status is not included in the agreements.
40 Communiqué of the Peace and Security Council of the African Union on Sudan and South Sudan, at its 387th meeting at ministerial level, 29 July 2013.
41 Toby Lanzer, “South Sudan is running a marathon, not a sprint,” UNDP, http://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/ourperspective/ourperspectivearticles/2013/07/09/south-sudan-is-running-a-marathon-not-a-sprint-toby-lanzer.html 9 July 2013, accessed on 12 September 2013.
42 UNOCHA, “South Sudan: Sowing seeds for the future,”http://www.unocha.org/south-sudan/node/2372, April 2013, accessed on 15 September 2013.
43 Anti-Corruption Resource Centre, U4 Expert Answers, Overview of corruption and anti-corruption in South Sudan. 2013.
44 Jared Ferrie, “South Sudan’s ‘State Actors’ Turn on Journalists and Aid Workers,”Inter Press Service News Agency, 27 June 2013,
http://www.ipsnews.net/2013/06/south-sudans-state-actors-turn-on-journalists-and-aid-workers/
45 Cordaid, “UN Arms treaty: possible milestone for South Sudan,” 24 June 2013. http://www.cordaid.org/en/news/un-arms-treaty-possiblemilestone-south-sudan/. There are an estimated three million small and light weapons in circulation in South Sudan, of which half are in the
hands of civilians.
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add to the challenges in South Sudan.46 Jonglei, where
Church of Sweden’s partner the Lutheran World
Federation is present, has been particularly hard-hit by
armed conflicts. These conflicts have historical roots, in
which competition for pasture land and water, as well as
the role of livestock47 in marriage (dowries) and economic
survival, are central factors.48 Since August 2012 a group
of rebels in Jonglei have fought against the government
of South Sudan,49 which has forced an estimated 120 000
people to flee.50 Aid organisations have found it difficult
to reach the internally displaced persons (IDPs).51 The UN
Security Council has called on the Government of South
Sudan to expedite safe and unhindered humanitarian
access for the timely and full delivery of humanitarian
aid to the civilian population and urged all parties to
seek peace through reconciliation.52
The long civil wars have adversely affected the situation of women, for example in terms of safety risks and
vulnerability to gender-based violence.53 This violence
remains widespread, not least in conjunction with the
ongoing conflicts. Domestic violence, as well as early,
forced marriages, where girls are married off and therefore often cannot complete their schooling, are common
occurrences.54 South Sudan has major challenges regarding gender justice and gender equality in areas such
as education, health and social and political participation.55 For example, there are no women in the South
Sudanese delegation to the AU-led negotiations with
Sudan.56 According to UN Security Council Resolution
1325, states have a responsibility to increase the representation of women in decision-making institutions.57
South Sudan is in the process of developing an action
plan for the implementation of Resolution 1325.
The situation for children and young people, who make
up more than 50 per cent of South Sudan’s population,
is difficult in many ways. Only one in seven children
complete their schooling and 27 per cent of the population over the age of 15 know how to read and write.58
Infant and maternal mortality rates in South Sudan are
among the highest in the world.59 It is more likely for a
46 Simon Tisdall, “South Sudan: challenge of disarming a nation when no one trusts the state,” The Guardian, http://www.guardian.co.uk/
world/2013/jul/04/south-sudan-disarming-a-nation, 4 July 2013, accessed on 5 September 2013.
47 Eva Palmqvist, Eskalerande våld i Sydsudan, Svenska kyrkans opinionsblogg, 20 January 2012,
http://blogg.svenskakyrkan.se/opinion/2012/01/20/eskalerande-vald-i-sydsudan/. Cattle raiding is common and, due to the large number
of arms in circulation, has had fatal consequences.
48 Simon Harragin, South Sudan: Waiting for peace to come, 2011, 23.
49 Diana Felix da Costa, We are one, but we are different: Murle identity and local peacebuilding in Jonglei State, South Sudan, NOREF Policy
Brief, 2013. One of the factors that caused this uprising was the violent disarmament campaign that took place in Jonglei.
50 David Smith, “South Sudan: UN says 100,000 people are cut off from vital aid,” The Guardian, http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/
jul/18/south-sudan-un-people-aid, latest update made on 18 July 2013, accessed on 10 September 2013.
51UNOCHA, South Sudan Consolidated Appeal 2013. Mid-Year Review, 2013, 9: “Humanitarian partners are unable to access the majority of
those displaced in Jonglei due to insecurity.”
52 Security Council Press Statement on Jonglei 23 August 2013. The statement is available via: http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2013/sc11103.
doc.htm
53 Rita Martin and J. N. Pelekemoyo, Women Count. Security Council Resolution 1325: Civil Society Monitoring Report 2012. The Republic of
South Sudan, 2012, 4.
54 Caroline Gross, Karen Kudelko and Chelsea Purvis, Gender-Based Violence in Southern Sudan: Justice for Women Long Overdue. A Study for
the Enough Project by the Allard K. Lowenstein International Human Rights Clinic at Yale Law School, 2010; Human Rights Watch, This Old
Man Can Feed Us, You Will Marry Him. Child and Forced Marriage in South Sudan, 2013.
55UNOCHA, South Sudan Consolidated Appeal 2013, Mid-Year Review, 2013, 13.
56 Martin, Rita and Pelekemoyo, J. N., 2012: Women Count. Security Council Resolution 1325, 2012,7.
57 UN Security Council Resolution 1325 about women, peace and security (2000) emphasises the participation of women as a crucial factor in
peace-building processes.
58 Toby Lanzer, “South Sudan is running a marathon, not a sprint,” UNDP, 9 July 2013.
59UNICEF, En nation föds med hög barnadödlighet
http://unicef.se/nyheter/en-nation-fods-med-hog-barnadodlighet, 8 July 2011, accessed on 5 October 2013.
policy document
9
South Sudanese girl to die in child birth than complete
her school education.60 Since the end of the civil war in
2005 thousands of child soldiers have been demobilised,
but child soldiers are still recruited and used in the current conflicts.61 South Sudan has not yet ratified the UN
Convention on the Rights of the Child and its additional
protocols.
Based on the need for reconciliation, in 2013 Salva Kiir,
President of South Sudan, appointed a Committee for
National Healing, Peace and Reconciliation, led by the
Archbishop Daniel Deng Bul. The Archbishop has appealed to civil society organization and the international
community to join hands with the committee. 62
A process of constitution writing is ongoing in South
Sudan. The Sudan Council of Churches has appealed to
the Government of South Sudan to listen to the opinions
of the South Sudanese people and to include representatives of the churches in the National Constitutional
Review Commission.63
sudan
The independence of South Sudan entailed new conditions for Sudan, both politically and economically.
This has involved a process of redefinition. So far, ces-
sation has not provided a solution to Sudan’s protracted
problems and conflicts. The conflict in Western
Darfur64 has been ongoing for ten years, with aerial
bombardments, human rights violations and use of
excessive force against peaceful protesters.65
The conflicts in Sudan are no longer limited to the peripheries; instead, discontent with the regime is visible in
all parts of the country, including in Khartoum. In June
2012 the government introduced austerity measures,
which sparked protests and led to demonstrations at the
universities and on the streets in Khartoum and other
major cities.66 These protests and demonstrations were
quelled through excessive force and arrests.67 In September 2013 demonstrations took place in several cities
throughout Sudan as a response to the government’s
decision on reduced fuel subsidies. The demonstrations
were met with excessive force by security authorities.
It is estimated that at least 50 people lost their lives and
800 were arrested.68 The UN Independent Expert on
the situation of human rights in the Sudan has condemned the use of violence against peaceful demonstrators.69
Reports of arbitrary detention and disappearances are
common in Sudan.70 The situation for opposition and
reform groups, actors in the civil society, religious mino-
60 The Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Bedömningsunderlag för ny samarbetsstrategi med Sudan 2012–2016, 2011, 4.
61 UN General Assembly, Security Council, Children and armed conflict. Report of the Secretary-General, A/67/845-S/2013/245, 2013.
62 Press statement by Most Rev. Archbishop Daniel Deng Bul, 24 June 2013. The statement is available via:
http://www.solidarityssudan.org/phocadownload/userupload/National%20Reconciliation%20Committee%20for%20Healing.pdf
63 Sudan Council of Churches (SCC), Pastoral Letter on the National Constitutional Review of the Transitional Constitution of the Republic of
South Sudan: An Opportunity to produce a just constitution, a step in building the New Nation, 21 May 2013.
64 Alex de Waal, “Who are the Darfurians? Arab and African identities, violence and external engagement,” African Affairs, vol. 104, issue 415
(2005), 181-205. The conflict in Darfur has several dimensions, with aspects such as a fight for resources and land, marginalisation, and polarisation between “African” and“Arabic” identity.
65 Amnesty International, Ten Years On. Violations Remain Widespread in Darfur, 2013.
66 The Guardian Development Network, “Sudan austerity announcement sparks widespread protests,” http://www.theguardian.com/globaldevelopment/2012/jun/21/sudan-austerity-announcement-sparks-protests, 21 June 2012, accessed on 24 September 2013.
67 Sudan Tribune, “Sudan’s protest movement enters fourth day amid reports of wide arrests,”
http://www.sudantribune.com/spip.php?iframe&page=imprimable&id_article=42991, 21 June 2012, accessed on 24 September 2013.
68 Sudanese Human Rights Monitor, “The Sudanese Human Rights Monitor Demands Immediate Ending of Violence against Peaceful Protesters
and Calls for Independent Investigation in Killings in Niyala, Medani and Khartoum,” 27 September 2013. The statement is available via:
http://www.wluml.org/sites/wluml.org/files/SHRM%20Statement%2027th%20Sep%20English.pdf
69 Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, “UN Expert deeply concerned at mass arrests and heavy media censorship during protests
in the Sudan,” http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=13824&LangID=E, 3 October 2013, accessed on 4
October 2013.
70 The Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Mänskliga rättigheter i Sudan, 2010, 5.
10 policy document
rities and human rights defenders is vulnerable. Several
international organisations have been forced to leave
the country.71 In November 2012, the Church of Sweden
took part in a solidarity visit to Khartoum together with
the World Council of Churches, on the invitation of the
Sudan Council of Churches. 72 The representatives of
churches in Sudan testified about demolished churches,
confiscated land and restriction on freedom of religion.73
The Christian minority in Sudan has expressed concerns
about whether the new constitution will guarantee
freedom of religion.74
The situation for women and girls in Sudan is difficult.
Gender-based violence is common, not least in areas
affected by conflict such as Darfur,75 and rape within
marriage is not classed as a punishable offence.76 Sudan
has not ratified the UN Convention on the Elimination
of All Forms of Discrimination against Women and has
not adopted an action plan for implementing Security
Council Resolution 1325.
Children and young people live in vulnerable situations
in Sudan, especially in conflict affected areas, including
Darfur, Abyei, South Kordofan and Blue Nile.77 The recruitment and use of child soldiers occur in these
areas.78 About 60 per cent of the Sudanese refugees
who live in refugees camps in South Sudan, where the
Church of Sweden’s partner the Lutheran World Federation works, are children, including unaccompanied
boys and girls.79 Sudan has ratified the UN Convention
on the Rights of the Child and its additional protocols,
but the implementation is inadequate.80
71 Relief Web, “Sudan: We are suspending our activity in Darfur”, http://reliefweb.int/report/sudan/sudan-we-are-suspending-our-activity-darfur,
22 April 2009, accessed on 20 September 2013. In 2009, Oxfam, International Rescue Committee, Save the Children, Care International and
other organisations had to leave Sudan.
72 Nigussu Legesse, Anna-Maria Sandström and Volker Faigle, World Council of Churches and Ecumenical Partners Visit to Sudan and South
Sudan, November 2012, World Council of Churches.
73 World Council of Churches and All Africa Conference of Churches, Statement on renewed destruction of church property in Khartoum, Republic of Sudan. 22 June 2012. In April 2012 a Bible school was destroyed in Khartoum and security forces confiscated the premises of the Sudan
Council of Churches and Sudan Aid in Darfur. In June 2012 the Episcopal Saint John Church in Khartoum was destroyed.
74 Ulf Laessing, Reuters, “Christians in Sudan Grow Anxious in ‘100%’ Islamic Constitution,”
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/02/27/us-sudan-christians-idUSBRE91Q0QQ20130227, 27 February 2013, accessed on 10 September 2013.
75 UN General Assembly, Report of the Independent Expert on the situation of human rights in the Sudan, Mashood A. Baderin, A/HRC/24/31,
18 September 2013.
76 The Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Mänskliga rättigheter i Sudan, 2010.
77 UN General Assembly, Report of the Independent Expert on the situation of human rights in the Sudan, 18 September 2013.
78 UN General Assembly, Security Council, Children and armed conflict. Report of the Secretary-General, A/67/845-S/2013/245, 15 May 2013.
79 ACT Alliance, “South Sudan camp managers brace for new arrivals”,
http://www.actalliance.org/stories/life-goes-on-for-refugees-in-south-sudan#panel-6., 5 November 2012, accessed on 10 October 2013.
80 UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, Consideration of reports submitted by states parties under article 44 of the convention. Concluding
Observations: Sudan, CRC/C/SDN/CO/3-4. Fifty-fifth session 1 September – 13 October 2010.
policy document
11
3. The Church of Sweden’s position
the role of church of sweden
in relation to our partners and
ecumenical networks
The Church of Sweden is part of the worldwide church
and is called to work globally and locally for a whole
and just world. As part of the worldwide church, the
Church of Sweden has a mandate to be a prophetic
voice in situations of vulnerability. Together with our
partners and with ecumenical networks, the Church
of Sweden wants to support peace and reconciliation
in Sudan and South Sudan. Through cooperation with
and on the mandate of our local partners, the Church of
Sweden wants to conduct policy dialogue that promotes
sustainable and just peace, within the framework of international law. The Church of Sweden has a responsibility to strengthen the opportunities of local partners to
make their voice heard on regional and global arenas.
the church of sweden’s positions in
relation to the situation in sudan
and south sudan
Overall position
The Church of Sweden undertakes to work towards
sustainable and just peace in and between Sudan and
South Sudan together with sister churches, ecumenical
networks and other partners. Respect for human rights,
recognition of human dignity and attainment of reconciliation are prerequisites for such peace.
This implies the implementation of the Road Map
and the nine agreements, under the auspices of the
African Union, including essential issues such as:
– border demarcation between Sudan and South Sudan
– withdrawal of all armed forces to each state’s side
of the border and activation of the border security
mechanisms, including the Secure Demilitarized
Border Zone
– cessation of support to rebel groups
– the four freedoms of residence, movement, economic activity and property ownership on both sides
of the border
– a decision on the final status of Abyei
It is important that an open and transparent negotiation
process is secured, in which citizens are informed and
involved.
• Humanitarian access to civilians in conflict affected
areas in Sudan and South Sudan is ensured.
This is based on international law (treaty-based
law and customary international law), according to
which parties to non-international armed conflict
must facilitate unimpeded passage of humanitarian
relief to civilians and states bear the ultimate responsibility for ensuring that humanitarian needs are met.
At the time of the adoption of this position, humanitarian access was limited in areas such as South
Kordofan, Blue Nile, Darfur and Jonglei.
Strategic positions
Together with sister churches, ecumenical networks
and other partners, the Church of Sweden intends to
conduct policy dialogue with decision makers in Sweden,
the EU and the UN, as well as private sector actors,
based on a number of strategic positions for sustainable
and just peace in and between Sudan and South Sudan.
The Church of Sweden considers the following positions essential:
• The Governments of Sudan and South Sudan comply with peace agreements they have entered into.
12 • The rights, participation and full involvement
of women in peace and reconciliation processes
and nation-building are guaranteed in Sudan and
South Sudan.
This is in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 1325 and international human rights and
includes the development of national action plans
for the implementation of Resolution 1325.
• The rights, participation and conditions for a safe
childhood and adolescence of girls and boys are
provided and protected in Sudan and South Sudan.
policy document
This is in accordance with the UN Convention on
the Rights of the Child. This includes ensuring that
girls and boys have access to education and health,
as well as ensuring the active participation of children and youth in promoting peace and reconciliation, democratic development and a safe future.
• The new constitutions in Sudan and South Sudan
include gender justice and respect for human rights,
and are implemented by the responsible governments.
The constitutions include respect for the rights of minorities, religious freedom, freedom of speech and freedom of association. This requires open processes, with
broad participation, when developing the new constitutions, so that democratic changes are promoted.
• Human rights defenders in Sudan and South Sudan
are protected. Impunity for acts of human rights
violations is unacceptable.
Human rights defenders are people who, individually or with others, act to promote or protect
human rights.81 Protection is required for all people,
including journalists and actors in the civil society,
to enable them to work freely for democracy and
human rights in Sudan and South Sudan.
• People whose human rights have been violated as a
result of oil extraction during the civil war in Sudan
are given compensation.
• Future extraction of oil in Sudan and South Sudan
takes place in accordance with the UN Guiding
Principles on Business and Human Rights.
The respect for human rights by private actors is
a prerequisite for the promotion of peace and development in the areas of concern. If the Church of
Sweden would own shares in companies linked to
Sudan and South Sudan, the asset management of
Church of Sweden must strive to ensure that the
companies respect the UN Guiding Principles,
in accordance with the financial policy of Church
of Sweden.83
• The Government of Sweden takes an active role in
the efforts for peace, democracy and development
in Sudan and South Sudan, bilaterally and through
the EU and the UN.
This takes place through strong bilateral development cooperation, in which humanitarian initiatives
are linked to long-term development aid, which includes support to the civil society. Active Swedish engagement in the EU and UN is also required to support
regional diplomatic peace initiatives that promote
peace in and between Sudan and South Sudan.
validity
This position should be valid for three years and thus
revised latest by 2016. The situational analysis should
also be updated at that time, or earlier if deemed
necessary due to changed conditions.
This is in accordance with the Comprehensive
Peace Agreement and the UN Guiding Principles on
Business and Human Rights.82
81 Definition of human rights defenders by the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, see http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/
SRHRDefenders/Pages/Defender.aspx
82 Comprehensive Peace Agreement, 2005, article 4.5: “Persons whose rights have been violated by oil contracts are entitled to compensation. On
the establishment of these violations through due legal process the Parties to the oil contracts shall be liable to compensate the affected persons
to the extent of the damage caused.” The peace agreement is available via: http://www.southsudannation.com/cpawealthsharing/; The UN
Human Rights Council, Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights: Implementing the UN “Protect, Respect and Remedy” Framework,
2011, Principle 22: “Where business enterprises identify that they have caused or contributed to adverse impacts, they should provide for or
cooperate in their remediation through legitimate processes.”
83 See, for example, p.4: “Asset management is to take place in an ethically responsible fashion. ‘Financial assets are also to be managed in an
ethically defensible manner, in accordance with the basic values of the Church’ (Church Order, Chapter 51, Section 2, paragraph 2).” Financial
policy for the national level of the Church of Sweden, adopted by the Central Board of the Church of Sweden on 22 April 2010.
policy document
13
Cover photo: Paul Jeffrey /ACT
Three girls in the refugee camp Yusuf Batil in Upper
Nile, South Sudan, where the Church of Sweden
provides humanitarian assistance.
church of sweden’s international work
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www.churchofsweden.org
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Svenska kyrkans internationella arbete är en del av ACT-alliansen,
Action By Churches Together, ett globalt samarbete mellan kyrkor och
organisationer för katastrofinsatser, utvecklings- och påverkansarbete.