Aspiration for democratic transformation is strongest when people are living the results of its opposite. Democratization, however, is a tough road that requires reliable vehicles, and one prominent vehicle is prioritizing sustainable development as a national agenda and through national, popular programmes. This Discussion Paper presents a case for the critical role of development governance in the process of democratic transformation in post-war Sudan. It provides a historical review of the failures in misaligning democracy and development in Sudan, by consecutive regimes, and examines case studies in its productive sectors (agriculture, industry, energy and mining) to demonstrate the viability of the main approach of ‘democratizing development’ through examples and dynamic stories from the field.

Democratic transformation in Sudan will require prioritizing sustainable development goals, and for that to happen we need to study and plan development governance models and tools that can stand up to the task. This paper provides information and analytical tools to help in discussing the topic, by a wider audience and groups of stakeholders, in an informed manner.