This literature review offers a rough overview of the most relevant literature that has been produced on legal norms, actors and institutions in South Sudan generally, and Western Equatoria State in particular. The ‘Supporting Primary Justice in Insecure Contexts’-project informed its research through the study of a wide range of anthropological and historical works, as well as present-day publications by international organisations.
This review is divided in five parts that evolve around the following key questions: 1) What is the history of legal institutions in Western Equatoria State?; 2) Which justice providers are available? 3) How do they relate to each other?; 4) What preferences do people have?; and 5) Which challenges can be observed? Although excellent literature is available on this topic, this review hopes to demonstrate that especially since Sudan’s independence in 1956 and throughout its periods of war, very little in-depth research has been done in Sudan as a whole, let alone in Western Equatoria State in particular.