Shejeh Salam (Promoting Peace) Rolling Assessment Report

The assessment aimed to update and discuss Shejeh Salam's analysis and assumptions on the contextual situation, discuss the findings of the Gender, Youth, and Social Inclusion (GYSI) and baseline assessments, identify operation and programmatic lessons learned through the Collaborating, Learning and Adapting (CLA) lens, and assess progress on the Workplan Year One activities, including Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning Plan (MELP) targets and cross-cutting themes. The assessment focused on the target counties of Jur River and Wau in Western Bahr el Ghazal (WBeG) State, Mayendit, Leer and Panyijiar in Unity State, Ulang and Baliet in Upper Nile State, Duk, Urur, Akobo and Pibor in Jonglei State, and the Western Equatoria counties of Budi and Kapoeta North. The appointment of the transitional national legislative assembly after the formation of state governments marked a significant progress in the implementation of the Revitalized Peace Agreement on the Resolution of Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCSS). In Eastern Equatoria State, Buya, Toposa and Didinga communities are engaged in a cycle of cattle raiding and revenge killings. A local youth group known as Monyimiji threatened the humanitarian operations in the town of Torit over grievances related to unemployment. In Unity State, political division among Nuer communities, in addition to the existing revenge killing, cattle raiding, and territorial disputes, are the main drivers of conflict, affecting the USAID target counties of Mayendit, Leer and Panyijiar. In Upper Nile State, while there is a free movement across the state, territorial disputes involving Padang Dinka and Shilluk remain unresolved. In Ulang County, unresolved internal Nuer conflict has continued to drive revenge killings within the county. In WBeG State, the emergence of a new, independent armed group called Mazuluum, in addition to the existing opposition, are continuing to exert their authority in some areas of the state, presenting security challenges to humanitarian partners. In Jonglei State, sporadic cattle raiding, revenge killings, and abductions of women and children continue to be reported. A fully functioning national government working alongside local government is key to restoring peace and stability at the grassroots, including in Shejeh Salam operational areas. Important lessons were learned from Year One Activity implementation, and the RA provided an opportunity for the team to reflect on Year One activities and draw important insights from their collective knowledge base. The assessment highlighted the need for continued support to local governments and communities to address power vacuums created by the delayed implementation of R-ARCSS. It also emphasized the importance of addressing the root causes of conflict, including unemployment, revenge killings, and territorial disputes. The assessment recommended that Shejeh Salam continue to support the implementation of R-ARCSS and work with local governments and communities to address the drivers of conflict. The assessment also discussed the findings of the GYSI and baseline assessments, which highlighted the need for continued support to women, youth, and social inclusion initiatives. The assessment recommended that Shejeh Salam continue to support these initiatives and work with local governments and communities to address the social and economic drivers of conflict. The assessment identified several operation and programmatic lessons learned, including the importance of building relationships with local governments and communities, the need for continued support to local governments and communities to address power vacuums created by the delayed implementation of R-ARCSS, and the importance of addressing the root causes of conflict. The assessment also discussed the progress on the Workplan Year One activities, including MELP targets and cross-cutting themes. The assessment recommended that Shejeh Salam continue to support the implementation of the Workplan and work with local governments and communities to address the drivers of conflict. Overall, the assessment provided valuable insights into the contextual situation and the progress on the Workplan Year One activities. It highlighted the need for continued support to local governments and communities to address the drivers of conflict and recommended that Shejeh Salam continue to support the implementation of R-ARCSS and work with local governments and communities to address the social and economic drivers of conflict.