Development Deferred: Eastern Sudan after the ESPA

Almost a decade after the signing of the ESPA there is a need for an independent review of its implementation that takes into account the viewpoints of all stakeholders involved in or affected by the agreement. This paper investigates and analyses the implementation of the ESPA in an attempt to answer key questions: what role has the GoS played in implementing the agreement? What have been the roles of the movements comprising the EF? What impact has the ESPA had on the people of Eastern Sudan? What are the current challenges to and constraints on human security in the region? And what are the prospects for development for the region? The current study also applies a gendered approach to clarify how the conflict in Eastern Sudan and the peace agreement may have impacted the lives of men and women differently.

The paper was originally published by the Small Arms Survey.