WHY USAID/OTI IS IN SUDAN
In April 2023, war broke out in Khartoum between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), upending a fragile political process to restore a civilian-led government and spiraling Sudan into crisis. Peace remains elusive in 2024, with millions of Sudanese fleeing their homes. Even in the crisis, USAID/OTI Sudan works with civic groups to pursue democratic transition in protracted conflict. Against many challenges, civic actors provide critical frontline responses for their communities while preserving civic engagement in Sudan. USAID/OTI Sudan provides rapid response to key civic actors in this critical window.
USAID/OTI’S ROLE IN SUDAN
USAID/OTI is supporting the Sudanese to continue to pursue democratic transition in protracted conflict. To help realize this goal, USAID/OTI Sudan’s programming works to:
- Support civic action for social and political change
- Increase access to information to enable informed decisions.
PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS
- OTI supported an independent local media outlet to provide information that is immediate and life saving in the humanitarian context in Darfur, such as helping people escape Darfur (by alerting them to which roads are safe), as well as countering information manipulation, which often attacks civilian political groups and engenders hate and violence. The outlet doubled its audience in two months during its initial pilot with OTI and is being reiterated in other areas including the Kordofan and Blue Nile.
- OTI partnered with local organizations to run a series of women's dialogue and discussion sessions. The partners expected 300 women to join, but over 500 women participated, demonstrating their desire to to express their voices in national decision making processes. As a result of the activity, participating women developed skills to practice civic action and address women’s issues within their communities. As part of the activity, the partner reactivated five women’s associations and formed ten new associations in the target areas, and as a result, women conducted self-organized dialogues under the newly formed associations.
- Groups of civic-minded individuals are working together to help answer the growing humanitarian crises and respond to urgent community priorities emerging from the conflict. Women’s associations, youth organizations, and mutual aid groups depend on close community engagement to address challenges such as mass displacement, disease outbreaks, and communal violence. OTI helps these groups organize and mobilize their communities, increasing their outreach, resources, and impact.