Sudan
Following the 5 December 2022 signing of the Political Framework Agreement aimed at restoring a civilian-led transition in Sudan, DCAF was requested to support dialogue among national stakeholders on security sector governance and reform (SSG/R) and related aspects of transitional justice with the aim of demystifying key principles and approaches of these processes and mapping realistic entry points for reform. As part of its support, DCAF will develop a series of policy papers and organize roundtable discussions with key stakeholders from civilian groups, the security sector, civil society and academia, and deploy experts to specific technical initiatives so as to mentor, coach or advise national stakeholders as needed.
Whilst the Political Framework Agreement presents a generational opportunity for reform, it will be critical in the short term to foster greater, shared understanding among Sudanese stakeholders of what SSG/R entails so that they can engage in informed policy dialogue on the future of the security sector, with the ultimate goal of effective and accountable security provision within a framework of democratic governance, the rule of law and respect for human rights.
Workstreams/Projects
This policy paper highlights the following lessons from SSR processes in the context of military-to-civilian transitions:
- The importance of local ownership of and political commitment to reform;
- Setting realistic and affordable timelines for reform;
- Properly planning the reform process;
- Getting the sequencing of the reform process right;
- Characteristics of (un)successful integration of security forces;
- Dealing with past abuses.
Download "Building the Foundations and Start of Transition Processes in the Security Sector" policy paper or its summary
- in English : policy paper / summary
- in Arabic: policy paper / summary
DCAF spotlights three among all of the thoughtfully written papers:
- Doris Pasha’s ‘E-Governance and the Importance of Personal Data Protection in Albania’;
- Mejreme Asllani’s ‘Cyber Attacks and Critical Infrastructure in Kosovo’; and
- Oliver Risteski’s ‘Intrusions of State Digital Infrastructure in Macedonia: Digital Human Rights Impact Analysis’
Disclaimer: The views expressed are those of the authors alone and do not necessarily reflect DCAF positions.
Examples of recent activities
- Young Faces Winter School Webinars. Online, January 2022.
- Young Faces Summer School and participation in the European Dialogue on Internet Governance (EuroDIG). Trieste, Italy, June 2022.
- Workshop on Gender and Cybersecurity for the Western Balkans Cybersecurity Research Network. Durrës, Albania, July 2022.
- Advocacy campaign by the Western Balkans Cybersecurity Research Network. Western Balkans, Summer 2022.
Knowledge Products
- Cyber Violence Against Women and Girls in the Western Balkans: Selected Case Studies and a Cybersecurity Governance Approach
- Thematic Paper on Gender and Cybersecurity
- Western Balkans Cybersecurity Research Network: a six-chapter publication on Human Rights and Cybersecurity
- Western Balkans Cybersecurity Research Network: a six-chapter publication on Gender and Cybersecurity (upcoming publication)
Contacts
Anne Bennet, Head of Division, Sub-Saharan Africa Division (a.bennett@dcaf.ch)
Alexander Burian, Principal Programme Manager, Sub-Saharan Africa Division (a.burian@dcaf.ch)