IOM in AbyeiTransitioning to Livelihoods and Recovery

2010–2016

Abyei: Communities in LimboThe Abyei Administrative Area is a disputed territory of more than 10,000 square kilometers located between Sudan and South Sudan. The area has been a flashpoint for conflict due to longstanding intercommunal tensions and its disputed status. Home to a large Ngok-Dinka ethnic majority, Abyei hosts the pastoral Misseriya population, who migrate through the area seasonally from the north. The annual migration of Misseriya pastoralists from Sudan through the grazing lands of Ngok Dinka frequently leads to conflict between these two communities and has at times escalated to draw in the militaries of Sudan and South Sudan.

The Abyei Protocol adopted in May 2004 between the Government of Sudan and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army aimed to address outstanding issues regarding border demarcation and joint management of Abyei, granting special administrative status to the area and a transitional government. The signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement in 2005, which ended the 20-year civil war between Sudan and Southern Sudan, encouraged many who were displaced by the second civil war to return to Abyei. The influx of returnees coupled with the failure of the Abyei Area Administration (AAA) to implement various aspects of the Protocol concerning resident rights to land and resources have generated disputes within the community, exacerbating pre-existing tensions. An attack by Government of Sudan forces on Abyei in May 2011 displaced the majority of the Ngok Dinka population—approximately 105,000 people—to areas south of the River Kiir. The heavy fighting destroyed hundreds of homes and severely damaged public infrastructure.

The demilitarization of Abyei and establishment of the UN Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) in July 2011 brought modest stability to the area and small-scale returns. However, the shooting death of the Ngok Dinka Paramount Chief in May 2013 resulted in renewed tensions and displacement. While Abyei has remained relatively calm since the crisis erupted in South Sudan in December 2013, the destruction left in the wake of the 2011 violence and the AAA’s lack of progress on benchmarks regarding implementation and reforms have stalled development of the area and precluded Abyei’s anticipated referendum, leaving most residents without access to basic services and resources.

A destroyed van lays in the fields after it was hit with a landmine, killing three people in 2011.

Abyei: Communities in LimboThe Abyei Administrative Area is a disputed territory of more than 10,000 square kilometers located between Sudan and South Sudan. The area has been a flashpoint for conflict due to longstanding intercommunal tensions and its disputed status. Home to a large Ngok-Dinka ethnic majority, Abyei hosts the pastoral Misseriya population, who migrate through the area seasonally from the north. The annual migration of Misseriya pastoralists from Sudan through the grazing lands of Ngok Dinka frequently leads to conflict between these two communities and has at times escalated to draw in the militaries of Sudan and South Sudan.

The Abyei Protocol adopted in May 2004 between the Government of Sudan and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army aimed to address outstanding issues regarding border demarcation and joint management of Abyei, granting special administrative status to the area and a transitional government. The signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement in 2005, which ended the 20-year civil war between Sudan and Southern Sudan, encouraged many who were displaced by the second civil war to return to Abyei. The influx of returnees coupled with the failure of the Abyei Area Administration (AAA) to implement various aspects of the Protocol concerning resident rights to land and resources have generated disputes within the community, exacerbating pre-existing tensions. An attack by Government of Sudan forces on Abyei in May 2011 displaced the majority of the Ngok Dinka population—approximately 105,000 people—to areas south of the River Kiir. The heavy fighting destroyed hundreds of homes and severely damaged public infrastructure.

The demilitarization of Abyei and establishment of the UN Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) in July 2011 brought modest stability to the area and small-scale returns. However, the shooting death of the Ngok Dinka Paramount Chief in May 2013 resulted in renewed tensions and displacement. While Abyei has remained relatively calm since the crisis erupted in South Sudan in December 2013, the destruction left in the wake of the 2011 violence and the AAA’s lack of progress on benchmarks regarding implementation and reforms have stalled development of the area and precluded Abyei’s anticipated referendum, leaving most residents without access to basic services and resources.

A doctor tends to an infant at a clinic that has been rehabilitated by IOM. Before the clinic was reconstructed, doctors and nurses struggled to provide care to patients, particularly during the rainy season, when heavy rainfall would leak into patient rooms due to missing roofing panels.

IOM in AbyeiIOM opened an office in Abyei in 2010, supporting both the Misseriya and Ngok-Dinka communities through water facility rehabilitation, as well as providing shelter and relief item assistance to returnee communities. With support from USAID, the European Commission and the Government of Japan, IOM’s activities, implemented from both its Sudan and South Sudan missions, aim to mitigate the risk of further conflict and promote recovery in Abyei. Projects focus on rehabilitation of infrastructure, livelihoods recovery and income diversification, peace building and emergency responses.

IOM continues to implement activities aimed at addressing both the needs of those who decide to return to Abyei and the needs of the Misseriya traveling through the area. Through a balanced approach, the projects serve to reduce tensions and mitigate risks as improvements benefit both communities.

Rehabilitation In the absence of a truly functional government entity to provide basic services, IOM’s infrastructure projects—from rebuilding schools to health care clinics—continue to provide a majority of public services in Abyei today. Major infrastructure projects include rebuilding the office of the Community Protection Committee (a community-based, unarmed body that provides safety and security for the community), community meeting halls, health clinics, schools, public and household latrine blocks, transit and day-care facilities, and buildings for the AAA. IOM also improves communities’ access to safe drinking water by repairing, replacing or constructing water-points throughout Abyei.

One of the several schools rehabilitated by IOM within Abyei.

To improve access to public services, IOM and its partners have rehabilitated or constructed water points, schools, clinics, public shelters and communal gathering spaces across Abyei, including this communal toilet block in Agok.

Agok transit centre for unaccompanied children, built by IOM. Relief agencies safely accommo-date children in the centre before reuniting them with their families.

Community leaders meet with IOM and UNISFA at a communal hall in Diffra.

A child undergoes a health consultation at a rehabilitated health facility in Diffra.

Rehabilitated water points throughout Abyei help provide essential water to thousands. In places such as the Ameith market (left), the water point provides water to 3,000–4,000 people

per day.

A grinding mill enables families to grind sorghum, a food staple in the region, at a subsidized cost of 2 South Sudanese Pounds (SSP) per kilogram (kg) ground compared to the standard rate of 5 SSP. The average household in Abyei uses 1.5kg of sorghum daily.

Rehabilitation projects have enabled Ramadan, 28, to return to school in Abyei after putting his education on hold due to the fighting in 2011. He hopes to one day become a teacher.

Since 2011, IOM has helped rehabilitate five primary and secondary schools, which were badly damaged during the attack in 2011.

“Five years ago, things in Abyei were very bad” explains Ramadan, a student at one of the co-ed schools in Abyei town. “The buildings were ransacked and completely destroyed. They even removed the roofing from nearly all of the building. During this time, most of us were displaced as we fled to Agok.” During the years living in displacement in Agok, many students were forced to put their education on hold until they returned to Abyei.

Today, Ramadan's school in Abyei is in much better shape, with new roofing and a fresh coat of paint. Students fill the halls and new temporary classrooms are being built to accommodate the new students. Currently, three schools are functional, with more than 1,000 students enrolled.

“It has been great to come back to school. I want to do my part when I finish my studies and become a teacher. I have seen how important they were in my life growing up and I would like to be able to do the same for the younger generations to come.”

The Abyei Girls Primary School has been rehabilitated by IOM and is now one of the most devel-oped school complexes in town.

LivelihoodsIOM is working with partners to reinvigorate economic activity in Abyei and improve access to livelihood and educational opportunities with the support of the USAID-funded Abyei Rehabilitation Initiative (ARI). Partners offer courses in one of three formal vocations—carpentry, masonry or tailoring—and informal vocations, such as baking, food processing, dairy production, fish processing, crafts, and hides and skins handling. In addition, IOM has constructed livelihood infrastructures, including grinding mills, an oil press facility, fencing of vegetable farms and drainage works. Many graduates of the courses now run thriving businesses in Abyei, contributing to a regrowth of the local economy and promoting sustainable incomes.

Along, Teresa, and Pasalina run their own dairy business on the main market in Abyei town.

After taking IOM’s livelihoods training, they decided to venture into dairy processing together, using the financial management, business practices and vocational skills they had learned. “They taught us recipes and ways to make milk and cheese that we did not know before,” Along explained. “One of the main things we learned was to boil the milk during the process, which is not something that is normally done here in our village. This method makes producing milk faster and safer to drink.”

The trio are also relatives. “We all work together and depend on each other for support,” Teresa said. Among the three of them, they have 13 children to look after and are the sole income generators for their families, having all been widowed by war.

Like many other businesses in the area, their dependency to essential goods from the markets have made them highly vulnerable to fluctuations in prices or when the markets close completely due to insecurity or access. IOM continues to provide support and mentorship, including refresher trainings on business skills, to promote the shop’s success.

Along, Teresa, and Pasalina stand in front of their dairy shop, where they make their own milk, yogurt and cheese.

Aluel sews commissioned clothing at her tailor shop in Abyei.

Wearing a dress she made for herself, Aluel explains that “before going through the [livelihoods] training programme, I knew nothing about tailoring. I had to learn everything from the ground up. It took me seven months to learn everything but I managed to do it.”

Aluel, who took training on tailoring and business skills with IOM, shares a workshop with 13 tailors who produce and sell clothing through a cooperative agreement. Using a supply of fabric donated by IOM to help the tailors get their business off the ground, they create garments for both men and women.

Before becoming a tailor, Aluel owned a restaurant business in Abyei, but she found herself struggling to deal with issues such as reliance on credit payment systems. “A lot of customers paid through credit making it difficult to maintain a profit or even have cash to buy more supplies.”

Aluel is happy that her new customers only pay in cash, saving her the trouble of following up on due payments. Nevertheless, her new business is also introducing new challenges she did not encounter before “We don’t have a stand in the main market so that we can display our clothes for sale so for now we have to rely on customers coming out to the workshop to buy clothes.”

Not far from the tailoring cooperative, Peter and Ring have set up their carpentry shop. As former farmers, the pair chose to adopt a new trade in an effort to improve their incomes. “Back when we were farmers, we would essentially work for ourselves” explains Peter. “We might not have made any money as farmers but you could provide for the needs of you and your family.”

Since completing business and carpentry training, they decided to open up a workshop where they design and create furniture and cabinets. The two use mainly mahogany wood for their projects. Normally an expensive type of wood used in high quality furniture and structures around the world, mahogany is found in large abundances in Abyei and used to build anything from furniture to emergency shelters.

As carpenters, Peter and Ring can work throughout the year whereas farming was seasonal work. By generating this income, they provide for their families and prepare for any uncertain-ty in the future.

Peter and Ring use mahogany wood to make high-quality furniture for sale in town.

Peace Building and Conflict MitigationPeace building and conflict mitigation are one of the most important components of IOM’s programming in Abyei. Activities focus on sensitizing communities about peace through sport and cultural activities, including football matches, wrestling matches, dances, singing and drama. More recently, IOM has started to engage primary and secondary schools students to establish peace clubs aimed at sensitizing students and the nearby community about peace and conflict resolution.

Not far from the tailoring cooperative, Peter and Ring have set up their carpentry shop. As former farmers, the pair chose to adopt a new trade in an effort to improve their incomes.

“Back when we were farmers, we would essentially work for ourselves” explains Peter. “We might not have made any money as a farmer but you could provide for the needs of you and your family.”

Since completing business and carpentry training, the pair decided to open up a workshop where they design and create furniture and cabinets. Working out of their workshop next to Aluel’s tailor cooperative, the two use mainly mahogany wood for their projects. Normally an expensive type of wood used in high quality furniture and structures around the world, Mahogany is found in large abundances in Abyei and used to build anything from furniture to emergency shelters for those displaced by the ongoing crisis.

As carpenters, the Peter and Ring can work throughout the year whereas farming was seasonal work. By generating this income, they provide for their families and prepare for any uncertainty in the future.

Through the ARI program, IOM has been investing in the skills and professional development of girls in Abyei. This includes through building their confidence to organize and campaign for positive change in their communities and their leadership skills. After training in September and October 2016 on conflict resolution, peace building and communication skills, 15 girls in the Abyei Girls Primary School organized themselves into the Girls for Peace Club, eager to engage the student body and raise awareness among their schoolmates and community.

Club Team Leader Angichiwe (not pictured) said “I want to introduce a volleyball tournament in the school in the name of peace.” Angichiwe's club mates are ready to follow her lead, saying they trust her because “she is patient, a hard-worker, committed and a good organizer.”

To gain practical experience, and with support from the school administration and teachers, the girls are encouraged to use their problem-solving, negotiation and mediation skills to resolve disputes among students, including through developing and posting creative peace messaging in the school.

Looking ForwardSince the last major violence in Abyei in May 2011, collaborative efforts by the local community, the national governments of Sudan and South Sudan, the United Nations, and development and humanitarian agencies have brought relative stability. The establishment of UNISFA continues to play a major role in stabilizing the area and supporting development and humanitarian actors to implement projects that benefit the local community contributing to the stabilization process. Nevertheless, the security situation remains unpredictable. Only a safe, stable and conducive social, political and economic environment should be created to attract the former residents of Abyei who were displaced from their homes and encourage current residents to stay.

Looking ForwardSince the last major violence in Abyei in May 2011, collaborative efforts by the local community, the national governments of Sudan and South Sudan, the United Nations, and development and humanitarian agencies have brought relative stability. The establishment of UNISFA continues to play a major role in stabilizing the area and supporting development and humanitarian actors to implement projects that benefit the local community contributing to the stabilization process. Nevertheless, the security situation remains unpredictable. Only a safe, stable and conducive social, political and economic environment should be created to attract the former residents of Abyei who were displaced from their homes and encourage current residents to stay.

A technician examines samples for a health consultation at the rehabilitated clinic in Diffra.

In collaboration with

Rehabilitated hospital in Abyei.

For more information:

International Organization for Migration (IOM) in South Sudaniomjuba@iom.inthttp://southsudan.iom.int/

IOM in Sudaniomkhartoum@iom.inthttp://sudan.iom.int

Photo credits: IOM/Muse Mohammed 2016