This article discusses the concepts of failure of states, fragility of states, and the prospects of peace in South Sudan. The article focuses specifically on judicial structural deformities in South Sudan under the qualitative and normative research methodologies, with structural functionalism as theoretical framework. Where preceding works had concentrated their South Sudanese peace-building recommendations on power-sharing mechanisms, this contribution emphasizes a long-term postviolence focus on the building of governance structures. The work recommends that while…
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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.
South Sudan is highly vulnerable to climate change, including flooding, droughts and, most recently, a locust infestation. Long-term climate change, like a gradual increase in temperature, and short-term changes, like increased flooding, have indirect and interlinked implications for peace and security in South Sudan. Download
In this brief Saferworld provides a context update about the current situation in the town of Bentiu – the capital of the oil-rich Unity state. Saferworld presents safety and security challenges identified by communities, authorities and civil society such as revenge killings, cattle raiding, gender-based violence, environmental pollution and unemployment in Bentiu town and Protection of Civilian (PoC) site. Saferworld also provides recommendations for how best to address these challenges for all levels of government and communities to consider. Download
Publication Summary The justice versus peace dichotomy or lack thereof has spawned both legal practice and international law literature for decades. As the debate pertains to the application of transitional justice specifically against the backdrop of mass political violence or civil wars, some jurists, legal practitioners and other scholars suggest that, on the one hand, justice and peace are mutually exclusive concepts. This implies that neither peace nor justice can be pursued without adversely impacting…
In this brief Saferworld provides a context update about the current situation in Maridi – one of eight counties in Western Equatoria in South Sudan. Saferworld presents safety and security challenges for communities, local government, sub-national and national governments as well as the international community to consider and we provide recommendations for how best to address these challenges. Download
This brief sketches the outcomes of the first phase of a USIP-funded research project investigating public perceptions of peace in South Sudan. The project is implemented from 2019-2021 by Detrco under principal investigator David Deng. In preparation for a large-scale survey, the first stage consisted of stakeholder interviews and focus groups in five locations across South Sudan. Download
As South Sudan moves towards forming a Revitalized Transitional Government of National Unity (R-TGONU) in February 2020, questions around the return and resettlement of over 4.15 million South Sudanese are rising up the political agenda. There is an urgent need to consider lessons from the previous return migration and resettlement processes, and controls on returnees’ movements, particularly from those around the CPA period (2002-2012). This briefing note is part of this process, reflecting on the…
South Sudanese women have always participated in peace processes but usually not at the front lines of negotiations. Despite considerable challenges, their bottom-up approach and collective action at grassroots level have led to greater representation in the formal peace processes and the Revitalised Transitional Government of National Unity. However, to achieve positive peace in South Sudan, women must have access to justice, resources and meaningful representation in positions of power. Download
Conflict in South Sudan has continued to have a devastating impact on the population despite multiple efforts to stop the fighting. Between 2017 and 2019, Saferworld held eight state-level roundtable discussions with civil society platforms on issues of peace and security. Drawing on these discussions and our own analysis, we produced a national briefing paper with a series of recommendations for how a range of different people and groups could help build peace in the…
A power sharing agreement and the inauguration of a new government in South Sudan has been put to a halt. Disagreement on the number of states and local self-government, security issues and the unifying of a national army are contested issues. Strife about how to share the power between the local and central level through federalism and decentralisation remains at the core of the controversies. Sorting out the relationship between central and local levels of…
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