Developing National Mine Action Capacity in Sudan

The document identifies significant barriers to establishing a sustainable national mine action programme in Sudan. It highlights a severe human resource deficit caused by brain drain and conflict-driven changes in work culture, alongside political tensions between North and South Sudan that impede information sharing and coordination. Furthermore, it argues that international assistance is often contradictory, prioritizing rapid emergency response over long-term capacity building, and is hampered by funding delays and a reliance on expensive international contractors.

• Protracted civil conflict has created a severe human resource deficit, as many skilled Sudanese left the country and those remaining are often disillusioned by employment based on political or tribal affiliations rather than merit.
• The conflict has negatively impacted professional working practices, leading to difficulties in long-term planning and a highly centralized decision-making process where few individuals are authorized to make decisions.
• Political tensions between North and South Sudan hinder mine action, specifically through the unwillingness of the Sudan Armed Forces and the Sudan People’s Liberation Army to share information on mined areas.
• There is significant institutional instability and uncertainty regarding the national mine action structure; as of mid-2006, no permanent director for the Mine Action Centre in the North was in place, and national institutions were unlikely to be operational until early 2007.
• International assistance is characterized by conflicting mandates, where the need for immediate emergency response by the UN Mine Action Service outweighs the long-term capacity development goals of the UNDP.
• Funding for capacity building is inefficient, with significant portions spent on expensive commercial contracts and international staff, while local NGOs are marginalized in favor of international NGOs.
• The use of English as the primary language in international operations and the 'can do' attitude of international staff often exclude Sudanese nationals from active participation and training.

APA

Roberts, R. (2006). Developing National Mine Action Capacity in Sudan. Peace Research Institute Oslo. https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/1ae50696-8972-415f-b41e-18c4e652de5c/Developing National Mine Action Capacity in Sudan The Impact of Conflict Politics and International Assistance.pdf?inline=true

Chicago

Roberts, Rebecca. Developing National Mine Action Capacity in Sudan. Peace Research Institute Oslo, 2006. https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/1ae50696-8972-415f-b41e-18c4e652de5c/Developing National Mine Action Capacity in Sudan The Impact of Conflict Politics and International Assistance.pdf?inline=true.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Roberts |first1=Rebecca |title=Developing National Mine Action Capacity in Sudan |publisher=Peace Research Institute Oslo |date=June 2006 |url=https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/1ae50696-8972-415f-b41e-18c4e652de5c/Developing National Mine Action Capacity in Sudan The Impact of Conflict Politics and International Assistance.pdf?inline=true |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{roberts2006developing, author = {Roberts, Rebecca}, title = {{Developing National Mine Action Capacity in Sudan}}, institution = {Peace Research Institute Oslo}, year = {2006}, month = jun, url = {https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/1ae50696-8972-415f-b41e-18c4e652de5c/Developing National Mine Action Capacity in Sudan The Impact of Conflict Politics and International Assistance.pdf?inline=true}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }