Harnessing the potential of aid to protect livelihoods and promote peace – the experience of the Nuba Mountains Programme Advancing Conflict Transformation (NMPACT)

This document examines the NMPACT programme in the Nuba Mountains, which successfully addressed an incipient food security crisis through innovative approaches and principled engagement. The programme’s emphasis on sustainability, local ownership, equitability, conflict transformation, and minimizing harm has been effective in promoting peace and strengthening livelihoods. The programme’s adoption of a capacity-building approach, rather than relying solely on external inputs, has been particularly significant in a context where the ceasefire did not mature into a peace agreement. The programme’s joint advocacy efforts with partners and western diplomats were instrumental in catalysing senior diplomatic interest and brokering a ceasefire agreement between the GoS and the SPLM. Overall, the NMPACT programme provides valuable lessons for addressing food security and promoting peace in other complex emergencies.

This document was originally published by FAO.