Sudan’s roughly three million internally displaced persons (IDPs) and three million nomadic pastoralists have historically been excluded from participating in electoral processes, both due to ethnic and political conflicts in their regions and to a lack of investment from the government to effectively engage these marginalized communities.

Recognizing this, NDI conducted research aimed at understanding the various factors impacting the inclusion of IDP and nomadic pastoralist communities in electoral and political processes in Sudan. The reports provide critical research and analysis on the barriers to and opportunities for greater IDP and nomadic pastoralist participation in Sudan’s future electoral cycles. 

Using a qualitative approach, the studies investigate the extent to which IDPs and nomadic pastoral communities in Darfur participated in the 2010 Sudan elections and identify barriers that contributed to their low political participation. Findings from the studies show linkages between the lack of technical and procedural regulations for displaced and nomadic persons and low civic engagement in their respective communities. The studies offer recommendations on how to break the cycle of exclusion that has been ingrained into Sudan’s electoral system as the country navigates its democratic transition.