Conflict Dynamics International, Inc.

Conflict Dynamics is undertaking an initiative to explore, generate and ‘feed in’ technical options to accommodate political interests and perspectives in the Republic of the Sudan and South Sudan. The current focus of Conflict Dynamics’ work under this initiative is on exploration of options for political accommodation following the referendum on self-determination of the people of Southern Sudan (“the Referendum”).

This initiative aims to convey technical options in an impartial manner to the Parties and agreed mediators or facilitators. The technical options being developed address political accommodation in the context of relations between the Republic of the Sudan and South Sudan following the Referendum; political accommodation within the Republic of the Sudan, and political accommodation within South Sudan. These three inter-woven strands are designed to address political accommodation in a comprehensive manner, taking into account political interests, historical legacies, and ongoing political processes.

The formal secession of South Sudan following the Referendum on self-determination has initiated unprecedented political transformations in the two sovereign States.

There are several factors that pose challenges for political stability during this transition including: (a) recent hostilities, military operations in several areas of the Sudan, including the Abyei Area, Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile; (b) the absence of agreement on some key post-secession issues (including oil and the final status of Abyei Area) between the Sudan and South Sudan; (c) growing economic challenges in both States; and (d) meeting the governance expectations and needs of the people in a changing national, regional and global environment.

Critical to maintaining political stability and preventing potentially-violent disputes is the ability to achieve mutual conciliation or accommodation of oft-competing political views and interests in this region. That objective, and the associated processes, arrangements or outcomes are collectively referred to here as political accommodation.

The primary objective of this initiative is to enhance the prospects for peace and stability in the Republic of the Sudan and South Sudan through exploration and provision of technical options for political accommodation.

In pursuit of this overarching purpose the specific project objectives are:

P01 – To conduct policy-orientated research and solicit perspectives from the Parties, and other key actors in the Republic of the Sudan and South Sudan, agreed international facilitators, international actors, and others on prospects and potential options for political accommodation;
P02 – To promote a new vocabulary, centered on political accommodation, within the political discourse in the Republic of the Sudan and South Sudan;
P03 – To continue to generate and refine options for political accommodation between the Republic of the Sudan and South Sudan, as well as within each State;
P04 – To ‘feed in’ technical options directly to the Parties; agreed international facilitators or mediators; other political parties/actors in the Republic of the Sudan and South Sudan; international, regional organizations; civil society constituencies; and supporting States;
P05 – To contribute to a targeted dialogue among key constituencies on prospects for political accommodation

The term political accommodation “encompasses the objectives, process or outcome of mutual conciliation around competing political views and interests.” Conflict Dynamics has developed a typology of six strands for political accommodation which is being used to explore technical options, both within a single State and between two States:

Indicators of the degree of political accommodation are used to assess the various technical options developed, with a view to achieving equity of political representation and equity of decision-making influence, especially within central-level institutions.

Conflict Dynamics’ initiative on political accommodation employs a modular architecture consisting of three interconnected areas:

(I) Political accommodation between the Republic of the Sudan and South Sudan;
(II) Political accommodation within the Republic of the Sudan; and
(III) Political accommodation within South Sudan

The methodology to implement the project consists of several components: (A) extensive literature review; (B) interviews and consultations; (C) development of technical options for political accommodation; (D) targeted presentation of technical options to political actors; and (E) consultations, outreach and dissemination to ensure uptake of options.

The primary deliverables/products developed under this project are technical inputs and options for the CPA partners, other political parties/actors, international supporters and mediators, and others to consider pertaining to political accommodation. These options are presented in targeted briefing papers in Arabic and English.