Unclear land rights, overlapping land claims and uncertain land security have characterised the history of South Sudan, and being exacerbated by the regular cycles of violence. By taking the cities of Torit and Wau between 2021 and 2022 as case studies, this article considers the practical interventions for land justice and the dynamics of land justice in South Sudan. This is done by conducting qualitative research with a focus on: (a) providing an overview of…
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CSRF Research Repository
The CSRF Research Repository aims to support greater contextual knowledge for policy makers, programme managers, and implementers by providing a searchable repository of research, analysis, and resources, and providing periodic updates on new research and analysis.
There are numerous issues that continue to undermine the full realisation of HLP rights for the people of South Sudan and HLP is recognized as a growing key protection concern across the country. The HLP Technical Working Group (HLP TWG) strives to ensure the integration of HLP rights and concerns in humanitarian responses, and to ensure that key affected populations are supported. This note summarizes the key HLP challenges in South Sudan and provides recommendations…
The civil war that began in South Sudan in December 2013 has had dire consequences for the Shilluk of Upper Nile. Attacks by the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) and allied militia forces have forcibly displaced tens of thousands of people. Many of those displaced have fled to Sudan—just as they did during the second civil war (1983–2005)—where they eke out an uncertain existence. On the east bank of the White Nile, where there was…
South Sudan is characterised by mass, continued and repeated displacement. Against this backdrop, the January 2017 announcement of 32 states demarcated partly along ethnic lines spelt immediate concerns for returns and relocations. Occupation of land following displacement of local populations has further complicated the picture, as have government decisions to demarcate empty or occupied land for sale in some parts of the country. Providing aid in this context can pit humanitarian principles against one another….
This document aims to provide an overview of the key challenges related to housing, land and property (HLP) issues in the expanding urban and peri-urban areas of South Sudan. It points out key issues that require due attention once shelter actors begin to engage more substantially in shelter provision in urban areas, in particular with regards to the return and relocation of IDPs. In addition, it presents an overview of land-relevant actors and legislation which…
This report presents the findings from a survey of land-related disputes in urban and peri-urban areas of South Sudan. From November to December 2016, the South Sudan Law Society (SSLS), in partnership with Norwegian People’s Aid (NPA) and the State Land Alliances (SLA), interviewed 942 individuals in ten locations across the country. Findings from this study demonstrate that land-related disputes in urban environments are widespread, becoming increasingly difficult to resolve, and are re-enforcing demand for…
Drawing on empirical evidence from Yei River County in South Sudan, this paper argues that, rather than a temporary phenomenon, displacement may lead to a drastic reorganisation of land occupation and governance. Such reorganisation may become strongly connected to broader political contention. In the case of Yei, existing legal frameworks and institutions are inadequate to deal with land conflicts resulting from massive displacement and return. Crucially, historical grievances result in the displaced no longer being…
Sudan is among the global ‘hotspots’ for large-scale land acquisitions. Although most of this investment activity was thought to be focused in the Northern part of the country, recent research indicates that a surprising number of large-scale l and acquisitions have taken place in the South as well in recent years. Now that Southern Sudanese have opted for independence in the 2011 referendum on self-determination, investment activity will likely increase further. This paper presents preliminary…
On October 28 the Law School’s Center for Human Rights and Global Justice (CHRGJ) released a 118-page report examining human rights concerns raised by large-scale acquisitions of agricultural land in developing countries. CHRGJ also held a panel discussion to mark the launch of the report. Panelists were Olivier De Schutter, U.N. special rapporteur on the right to food; Smita Narula, faculty director of CHRGJ and associate professor of clinical law; Colin Gillespie ’11, and Sylwia…
This paper from 2007 looks at competition for land and natural resources in Sudan and its implications for the promotion of peace throughout the country. First offering a background to the issues this paper then outlines key scenarios and risks, plus main recommendations.
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