Despite many high-profile interventions, Abyei remains mired in a violent impasse. Conflict between the Ngok and Twic Dinka continues, and the territory’s political future remains in limbo. Attacked from Both Sides: Abyei’s Existential Dilemma—a new Situation Update from the Small Arms Survey’s Human Security Baseline Assessment for Sudan and South Sudan (HSBA) project—discusses the causes for the deadlock surrounding this politically fractured territory, and the catastrophic effect conflict has on its civilians.   Read more…

This book chapter discusses the history of urbanisation of Juba as the capital of South Sudan after the 2011 independence. The article explores how citizens’ expectations in relation to the urbanisation agenda differ from those of the elites, including on service delivery. Finally, it provides insights on how South Sudan’s urban authorities’ response to needs and challenges facing a growing urban population has contributed to violence.   Download the book here.

GENEVA/JUBA (15 March 2021) – The UN issued a report on Monday calling on the South Sudanese authorities to hold accountable the military and political figures who are supporting community-based militias in the Greater Jonglei region, in order to prevent further violence. Organised and heavily-armed community-based militias from the Dinka, Nuer and Murle communities carried out a wave of planned and co-ordinated attacks on villages across Jonglei and the Greater Pibor Administrative Area (GPAA) between…

This executive summary presents the main findings from the Independent Special Investigation, mandated by the UN to examine two aspects of the outbreak of armed violence in Juba, in July 2016: violence against civilians, including sexual violence, within or in the vicinity of the UNMISS Headquarters, known as “UN House” and its two adjacent “protection of civilians” (POC) sites, which house more than 27,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs), and the attack on Terrain camp, a…

The occasion of the tenth anniversary of the founding of the Human Security Baseline Assessment (HSBA) project, which coincides with the tenth anniversary of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA), offers the Small Arms Survey an important moment to take stock of its work in Sudan and South Sudan. This Synthesis Report is one of three complementary efforts to do just that—the others being the project’s Symposium on the Future of Human Security in Sudan and…

This report examines how a United Nations base in Malakal, Upper Nile, in which around 47,000 displaced persons were sheltered, became the site of violence that left at least 30 people dead and much of the camp in ashes. The report describes how the violence unfolded, including the involvement of soldiers from the country’s military among attackers who shot at civilians and deliberately burned down specific parts of the camp. It also looks at key…

This review (2015) argues that military victory by any side is unrealistic as are celebrations of military victories futile. It sees a negotiated settlement as the only exit to disaster. In the meantime, the toll on civilians and future generations mounts.

This policy briefing summarises the key findings and recommendations of a longer research report, ‘Masculinities, conflict and peacebuilding: Perspectives on men through a gender lens’. Taken together, these publications aim to move forward discussions about integrating a masculinities perspective into peace-building policy and practice by surveying the current state of play and posing key questions about how peacebuilders can meaningfully challenge gender norms which create and perpetuate conflict and insecurity. Saferworld hopes that this briefing…

This report aims to advance discussions about integrating a masculinities perspective into peacebuilding policy and practice. It examines existing programmes that promote non-violent and gender equitable masculinities and poses key questions about how these can be further developed to challenge the gender norms which drive conflict and insecurity. To identify promising approaches which could be adapted for peacebuilding purposes, Saferworld conducted desk research on projects and programmes by 19 organisations or networks across five continents….

This Issue Brief reviews the root causes of the armed insurgencies led by George Athor, Peter Gadet, and other Southern commanders—all of whom have claimed to seek systemic changes to the Juba-based government or to overthrow it. It assesses the current approach of the SPLA and the government of the Republic of South Sudan (RoSS) to containing them, concluding that it is both ad hoc and unsustainable. Download

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