Project Case Study
Developing a national security architecture in South Sudan
Supporting security planning and institutional development through elections, referendum and independence
The 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement between the north and south of Sudan led to national elections in April 2010, a referendum in the south on secession in January 2011, and its independence the following July. Two decades of war had left the south with little capacity and no experience to handle such a substantial political, logistic, administrative and security challenge.
From January to April 2010, on behalf of the UK Conflict Prevention Pool, we assisted the national elections committee, police and military to plan activities to ensure safe and peaceful elections.
We supported the establishment of a network of Joint Operating Centres across the country reporting to a national centre, to improve collection, aggregation and communication of security information. This enabled more informed decision making by security officials at national and subnational levels. The project also delivered training to the police in four locations across South Sudan in managing public order events effectively and in line with international human rights.
The UK government subsequently extended the project beyond the referendum in January 2011 and into the newly independent state from the following July until the end of 2012.
The project continued to sustain the Joint Operating Centres, but evolved to support the Ministry of National Security in designing an appropriate national security architecture and in drafting a national security policy. We provided assistance through drafting workshops, on-the-job mentoring and guidance on a series of public consultations.
In parallel, advisers at subnational level supported provincial governors and their security committees in developing procedures for responding to security challenges and emergencies, to establish secretariats that would provide technical support to decision makers, and to improve dialogue with civil society and communities.
