In the aftermath of war, local government in Western Equatoria, South Sudan, set out to formalize urban land to make it more legible, less conflictual, and ready for the state’s vision of tomorrow. But the process proved problematic, and it caused and rekindled countless land disputes. Based on qualitative research at courts, county offices, and contested plots, this paper finds that these disputes were at their root about five competing normative repertoires about land distribution:…
Entries by Bruno Braak
South Sudan’s violent conflicts continue to plague its people. An estimated four million South Sudanese have been forcibly displaced since December 2013, and more than a million have sought refuge in Uganda where communities have largely reassembled without their traditional or customary leaders. Customary Authorities Displaced examines the consequences of conflict and displacement on traditional forms of authority among refugees from former Western Equatoria state. Various forms of non-customary authority proliferate in these refugee settlements,…
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…