18 May - Integrated UN DDR Unit

19 May 2010

18 May - Integrated UN DDR Unit

One Hundred Community Leaders from South Kordofan State meet to discuss DDR and Community Security.

Kadugli, 17 May 2010. Today, the Joint DDR Commission (JDDRC) in South Kordofan State in cooperation with the Integrated United Nations DDR unit in Kadugli started a three-day induction workshop on Disarmament Demobilization and Reintegration (DDR) and Community Security and Small Arms Control (CSAC) for leaders from some 100 communities across South Kordofan State.

The Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) calls for the Demobilization, Disarmament and Reintegration (DDR) of former combatants and special groups, and the promotion of community security and arms control. The objective of the DDR process as a whole is to contribute to creating an enabling environment for human security, and to support post peace agreement social stabilization across the Sudan, particularly in war affected areas.

This three-day workshop aims to further the understanding of local authorities and community leaders of the CPA and DDR process in general and in South Kordofan in particular and to raise their awareness on issues related to community security and small arms control. During the first day, participants listened to presentations from key note speakers including the H.E. Ali Gadhum Algali, State Minister of Agriculture and Forestry; General Ibrahim, National DDR Expert; Abdalla Ali, JDDRC Commissioner; Basil Massey, UNDP DDR Program Director and Ibrahim Balandia, Chairman of South Kordofan State Legislative Assembly.

The workshop is also organized to step up the partnership between all DDR stakeholders in the State by establishing permanent resource persons in the communities for promoting social reintegration and peaceful co-existence, and act as focal points for sensitization on the dangers of small arms possession.

JDDRC Commissioner Abdallah Bilal, addressing the participants said:
"Good cooperation with community leaders and their participation is crucial for the success of our programs, we will benefit from your partnership and recommendations to push the peace process forward."

During the second and third day of the workshop, participants receive training on how to conduct focus groups discussions within their own communities to capture their perception of DDR and CSAC. Upon their return, workshop participants take part in a one-month project where they will conduct these focus groups among a cross section of the population including women, youth, pastoralists and nomads. The focus groups outcomes will be carefully analyzed by the DDR Commission and the Integrated United Nations DDR unit in order to streamline and deliver effective DDR and CSAC programs.

For the official PDF version, click here