Sudan

For more than 20 years Sudan has been in a civil war between the regime in the northern parts of the country, and the southern regions. Fighting has also taken place in other parts of the country as well as in neighbouring countries, partly due to massive refugee movements across the country and its borders. One of the causes of the conflict is that the Islamic regime in the north is trying to enforce sharia laws, also for the Christian and Animistic minorities. The rich resources found in Sudan are also an important part of the conflict. Oil, the most valuable resource, is found in southern Sudan. In January 2005 the CPA (the Comprehensive Peace Agreement) was signed between the regime in Khartoum and SPLM (Sudan People's Liberation Movement) in the south, but fighting is still taking place, in Darfur but also in other areas, and there is still a long way to go before a stable peace has been established.

Since 1999, SweFOR is collaborating with SONAD, Sudanese Organisation for Nonviolence and Development. SONAD is an organisation based on the principles of justice, peace and with the conviction that democratic societies demand that people are conscious of their political and civil rights. Their work is based on the idea that nonviolence is the best way to resolve conflicts and reach a sustainable and just peace.

SweFOR supports SONAD's activities, which focus on education in democracy, human rights, nonviolence and hiv/aids through workshops, trainings and outreach programmes. Their strategy is to do workshops with key people who pass on the information to their communities. SweFOR's project secretary for nonviolence has participated several times in SONAD's nonviolence workshops.

SONAD's members are mostly Christian IDPs (Internally Displaced People) from southern Sudan living in the Khartoum area. They are however actively reaching out to people from other ethnic and religious groups and the member body is constantly getting broader and more diverse.

For more information, please contact Sara Lindblom, phone +46 8 453 68 79, E-mail sara.lindblom@swefor.org.