Page 72 - EVOLUTION OF THE SUDAN PEOPLE’S LIBERATION MOVEMENT(SPLM),

before the party created two positions of deputy chairpersons. The party passed a new manifesto,
a constitution and a new five-year political plan. The National Liberation Council, NLC,
approved the political plan. The party resolved to promote free market economy, decentralization,

promotion and respect for human rights, environmental sustainability and internationalization
(SPLM manifesto, 2008).

The party has not prioritized the question of party policy formulation and implementation as
such. There has been no policy formulation convention where an in-depth evaluation of SPLM
manifesto especially on economic front and governance was done. All the conventions from

Chukdum in 1994 to 2008 national convention were held against background of leadership crisis
and not policy formulation or evaluation of the movement’s performance against manifesto.

5.2.3 SPLM and service delivery

The organic relationship between the SPLM and the populace in terms of service delivery and
welfare was nonexistent. The United Nations humanitarian agencies and international Non-
Governmental Organizations were historically responsible for providing welfare and food
among the people through Life Line Sudan and other humanitarian activities such as food,

health, education and water. This created a culture of dependency. This also denied the SPLM
an opportunity of relating more fully with the populace in service provision. SPLM relied on
external actors to fulfill the traditional roles and duties of a state other than security. In support of
this narrative, one respondent stated;

“It was known amongst the people that whenever gunshots and armored vehicles were in the

vicinity, that was SPLA, but whenever food or emergency health services were being provided,
only foreign envoy was involved, SPLA was nowhere to be seen!”(OI, Christopher B. Lemi,
Juba, 21/03/2016).

When the CPA was signed, health and education was nonexistent whereas agriculture was
subsistence based. As a result, the government gave a commitment to achieve the Millennium

Development Goals to address chronic poverty and development. MDGs had the following pillars-
eradication of extreme poverty and hunger, universal primary education, gender equality and
female empowerment, reduction in child mortality, environmental sustainability and combat of
malaria, TB and HIV. Towards realization of the same, the government prioritized the following-

provision of social and physical infrastructure, agriculture, development of the private sector,
regeneration of social capital through education.

In their evaluation of the government for the transitional period, the center for statistics and
evaluation noted in their interim report that less than a third of the people had access to clean
water while 90% of the people lived below poverty line. In addition, child enrolment in primary
schools was 20% with girls accounting for 27% of this. Literacy levels stood at 24%. In

realizing the millennium goals, the SPLM government was tasked to address the following- build
infrastructure, encourage agricultural development, develop the private sector, and deliver basic
services in health and education. Others include provision of access to clean water. By 2010,

there were no large-scale agricultural projects and several people requiring humanitarian food
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