Integrated Country Strategy South Sudan FOR PUBLIC RELEASE FOR PUBLIC RELEASE Table of Contents 1. Chief of Mission Priorities ................................................................................................................ 2 2. Mission Strategic Framework .......................................................................................................... 4 3. Mission Goals and Objectives .......................................................................................................... 5 4. Management Objectives .................................................................................................................. 9 FOR PUBLIC RELEASE Approved: August 24, 2018 1 FOR PUBLIC RELEASE 1. Chief of Mission Priorities As South Sudan enters its fifth year of conflict, the U.S. government has three main foci in South Sudan: supporting the peace process so the civil war may end and peace, stability and prosperity can genuinely take root; providing humanitarian aid and development assistance to meet the ever-increasing needs of the South Sudanese people; and laying the ground work for long term recovery and economic growth. A strenuous effort calling on all our diplomatic and development tools will be required to ensure the establishment of a transitional government and its permanent successor; a lasting ceasefire and security arrangements; humanitarian assistance, development and stabilization activities that protect lives and enables livelihoods; provision of quality basic social services; reform of institutions to build the capacity for South Sudan to manage its economic resources in a just and sustainable way; and to foster reconciliation and national healing. In addition, we anticipate the United States, along with other international donors, should be prepared to respond to other significant but as yet unidentified humanitarian or financial exigencies. Ongoing conflict and increasing humanitarian needs continue to feature prominently in South Sudan. According to the latest, most accurate data and information available, 7 million people, or nearly 70% of the population will require humanitarian assistance in 2018. 5.3 million people need food aid to stave off famine or severe food insecurity. Nearly two million people are internally displaced, and another nearly 2.5 million are refugees outside the country. The U.S. government will remain the largest donor to a multi-billion dollar humanitarian response. Education and health-care systems, nascent to begin with, have been significantly weakened and South Sudan suffers from some of the highest mortality and lowest literacy rates in the world. Even if a peace deal is reached soon, the humanitarian needs will remain enormous and the long-term development needs will be even greater. Contributing to, and enhancing, these problems is an undemocratic system of governance, largely disconnected from the people it serves, and lacking in institutional protections for human rights. The respect for human rights has decreased during the current conflict, with widespread gross human rights violations committed by all sides. There is a significant risk of additional atrocities. The space available for civil society, including independent media, continues to shrink and U.S. efforts to protect this space are required. U.S. engagement to bring peace to South Sudan and to meet the humanitarian needs of the population is vital to promote regional stability. The growing number of refugees is straining neighboring states. South Sudan’s ungoverned spaces and continued conflict pose an ongoing and growing risk to the security of the region. The ongoing conflict has also seen a rise in ethnic tension and extremism. Despite increasing acrimony from the Government of South Sudan, the United States is still widely popular in South Sudan. U.S. leadership is essential to helping South Sudan recover and become a source of growth and stability in the region. FOR PUBLIC RELEASE Approved: August 24, 2018 2 FOR PUBLIC RELEASE The difficult security environment and reduced staffing have only exacerbated pre-existing management challenges. Our goal is to regularize management platforms and prepare for the New Embassy Compound for which we plan to break ground in FY19. FOR PUBLIC RELEASE Approved: August 24, 2018 3 FOR PUBLIC RELEASE 2. Mission Strategic Framework Mission Goal 1: South Sudan is a democratic country that respects human rights and is at peace with itself and its neighbors. Mission Objective 1.1: South Sudan achieves genuine peace resulting in reduced conflict, protection of human rights, and reconciliation efforts, including potential security sector reform efforts. Mission Objective 1.2: An inclusive civil society and free press are effectively engaged in civic and political processes and good governance efforts. Mission Objective 1.3: South Sudan is developing sustainable, democratic institutions that establish and reflect American values, including justice, the rule of law, and security for the people of South Sudan. Mission Objective 1.4: South Sudan’s wealth and resources benefit the people of South Sudan, and those who through corruption steal or squander it are held responsible. Mission Goal 2: Through the responsible delivery of humanitarian and development assistance, we save lives, alleviate human suffering and maintain human dignity. Mission Objective 2.1: Provide appropriate delivery of and access to essential and conflict sensitive emergency services to vulnerable populations that improve learning, wellbeing, and health including the reduction in morbidity and mortality. Mission Objective 2.2: Support livelihoods and mitigate severe food insecurity and lay foundations for a more socially cohesive society through equitable and safe service delivery to communities . Mission Goal 3: Sustainable economic development allows South Sudan to provide for its citizens. Mission Objective 3.1: Community resilience to shocks is increased through expanded viable economic opportunities that improve livelihoods. Management Objective 1: Embassy infrastructure fully supports all operational needs of the Embassy community. FOR PUBLIC RELEASE Approved: August 24, 2018 4 FOR PUBLIC RELEASE 3. Mission Goals and Objectives Mission Goal 1: South Sudan is a democratic country that respects human rights and is at peace with itself and its neighbors. Description and Linkages: This mission’s most immediate goal is supporting efforts to restore peace and democracy to South Sudan. Without an inclusive, sustainable peace deal that leads to democracy and a respect for human rights to the country, none of our other objectives is achievable. Our work to bring peace to South Sudan corresponds to the AF/AFR Joint Regional Strategy (JRS) Goal 1.3: Reduce Instability and Internal Violence that Threaten U.S. Interests in Africa. It also advances the JRS Goal 3: Strengthen Democracy, Human Rights and Good Governance. Our support for democracy and good governance, and future leaders who respect those values also advance the National Security Strategy’s Pillar Four goals of encouraging aspiring partners and championing American values. Mission Objective 1.1 South Sudan achieves genuine peace resulting in reduced conflict, protection of human rights, and reconciliation efforts, including potential security sector reform efforts. Justification: This objective is all about U.S. support – diplomatic and development – for reducing conflict and supporting a sustainable peace in South Sudan. We will use the full range of diplomatic tools to push the parties towards peace. Development interventions will treat community members as both participants in, and beneficiaries of, strategic activities that build on traditional examples of community interdependency (trade, shared resource management, local conflict resolution mechanisms) and highlight instances when communities successfully resolved conflicts nonviolently. Approaches implemented will deliberately reinforce efforts to support and facilitate community-led recovery with resilience under MO 3.1. Mission Objective 1.2 An inclusive civil society and free press are effectively engaged in civic and political processes and good governance efforts. FOR PUBLIC RELEASE Approved: August 24, 2018 5 FOR PUBLIC RELEASE Justification: A strong civil society, capable of effectively advocating for quality service delivery; transparent and accountable government; and an independent and free media are critical to South Sudan's development. However, the majority of South Sudan's civil society and media organizations are relatively underdeveloped and as a result, they have not been able to fulfill their potential to serve as advocates for South Sudanese. Consequently, the majority of South Sudanese have had no channel for expressing their opinions on the best ways to address long• standing grievances and issues that pulled communities and ethnic groups into conflict. Civil society and media involvement in the informal peace processes and conflict management efforts are keys to the Mission’s efforts under MO 1.1 Mission Objective 1.3 South Sudan is developing sustainable, democratic institutions that establish and reflect American values, including justice, the rule of law and security for the people of South Sudan Justification: For any peace to last, South Sudan needs strong, sustainable democratic institutions. Current governance is autocratic and largely serves to enrich those in power. We will use diplomatic leverage and development tools to both push for better governance and support its development. This support is critical to achieving our aims under MO 1.1. Mission Objective 1.4 South Sudan’s wealth and resources benefit the people of South Sudan and those who steal or squander it are held responsible. Justification: South Sudan has significant natural resources, notably oil, but those resources are not being used for the benefit of citizens. Elites plunder the wealth of South Sudan through corruption and outright theft. The United States already has sanctions on a number of South Sudanese leaders, as well as export restrictions on the oil sector. We will continue to use and expand these tools, based on strong intelligence and reporting on the economy. We will also use available tools to help local and regional actors uncover the networks underpinning corruption in the country. Once peace and stability return, South Sudan’s economy will offer potential opportunities for U.S. businesses and investors. Oil revenue transparency must be improved in order to break the cycle of corruption, conflict and poverty. We will advocate for international best practices to be implemented by economic policymakers so that oil revenues are made available to the public and are used in accordance with budgetary expenditure rules. International financial institutions must be given greater access to economic data, and the quality of that data must be improved, in line with international best practices and accepted accounting standards. We will work to advocate for responsible engagement and, more importantly, to create the conditions for fair competition. Absent U.S. economic engagement, Chinese firms are likely to dominate the key sectors of South FOR PUBLIC RELEASE Approved: August 24, 2018 6 FOR PUBLIC RELEASE Sudan’s economy. U.S. participation in South Sudan’s economic recovery will promote a more rules-based economic order that will benefit the country and the region. Mission Goal 2: Through the responsible delivery of humanitarian assistance, we save lives, alleviate human suffering and maintain human dignity. Description and Linkages: Given the immense humanitarian catastrophe in South Sudan, one of this mission’s key goals is the responsible delivery of life-saving assistance in partnership with international partners. Our humanitarian assistance is programmed in close coordination with international partners over whom we exercise significant influence, thus supporting the National Security Strategy’s Pillar Four goal of Achieving Better Outcomes in Multilateral Forums. This goal also directly supports the AF/AFR JRS goal 4.3 to Sustainably Reduce Hunger, Malnutrition and Poverty in sub-Saharan Africa. Our health programs support State/USAID JSP Strategic Objective 3.4 Mission Objective 2.1 Provide appropriate delivery of and access to essential conflict-sensitive and emergency services to vulnerable populations that improve learning, wellbeing, and health, including a reduction in morbidity and mortality. Justification: The needs of South Sudanese are especially acute as a result of the ongoing conflict and humanitarian crisis. The problem of substandard health and education services has been exacerbated by the fact that, as a result of the on-going hostilities, many health clinics and schools have been destroyed and the provision of basic medical services has been severely disrupted, creating a "lost generation" of children who have not had access to basic health and education. If key services are not provided, the resilience of affected communities will be undermined and the viability of communities will be threatened when the conflict and crisis ends. This Mission Objective supports the uninterrupted provision of critical services including: emergency education and water supply, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) services to IDPs and conflict-affected communities; distribution of essential pharmaceuticals; and livestock vaccinations to ensure herd health for pastoralist populations. Mission Objective 2.2 Support livelihoods and mitigate severe food insecurity, and lay foundations for a more socially cohesive society through equitable and safe service delivery to communities. FOR PUBLIC RELEASE Approved: August 24, 2018 7 FOR PUBLIC RELEASE Justification: Alongside the need to provide life-saving health and other services, South Sudan’s population requires food assistance to stay alive. We will continue providing this assistance in cooperation with international partners. We will also work to ensure that our assistance builds resilience and helps communities be able to provide for their own food and nutrition needs, where possible. Mission Goal 3: Sustainable economic and social development allow South Sudan to provide for its citizens and develop a nation. Description and Linkages: Once peace returns, rebuilding South Sudan’s economy and promoting sustainable development will be key to ensuring that the country is able to care for its own citizens and is not reliant upon international assistance. A revived, and growing, economy will also present opportunities for U.S. businesses and investment. This goal addresses the National Security Strategy Pillar Two goal of promoting free, fair and reciprocal economic relationships. It also directly links to the AF/AFR JRS Goal 2 to Increase Mutually Beneficial Economic Growth, Trade and Investment. Economic growth also provides a longer-term answer to the AF/AFR JRS goal 4.3 to sustainably reduce hunger, malnutrition and poverty. Mission Objective 3.1 Community resilience to shocks is increased through expanded viable economic, education and health opportunities that improve livelihoods, literacy and well-being. Justification: This objective supports community capacities to absorb, adapt, and transform in response to the impacts of conflict and insecurity in order to recover and build resiliency. It leverages immediate needs and challenges faced by communities to strengthen concepts of equity, accountability and sustainability in the identification of solutions; support community aspirations and self-reliance, building on existing community capacities and assets; and increase community and inter-communal effectiveness in ensuring secure access and security for the delivery of critical goods and services. Through this Mission Objective, supporting or facilitating inclusive decision- making will empower community members to develop their own recovery pathways through relevant community groups (community development committees, parent- teacher committees, mothers’ groups, etc.) and facilitate inter-communal dialogue to repair or build new ties between communities. FOR PUBLIC RELEASE Approved: August 24, 2018 8 FOR PUBLIC RELEASE 4. Management Objectives Management Objective 1 Embassy infrastructure fully supports all operational needs of the Embassy community. Justification: Embassy Juba’s facilities are sub-standard and require a range of waivers. We are due to break ground on a New Embassy Compound in FY19. The work on the NEC will be the major focus of our management efforts, but in the meantime we will need to pursue necessary security and consular projects to ensure that we can meet the operational needs of the Embassy. FOR PUBLIC RELEASE Approved: August 24, 2018 9