This article compares two cases of securitization along South Sudan’s border with the Democratic Republic of the Congo. By comparing how a security concern – the presence of the Lord’s Resistance Army – was interpreted and responded to, the article shows that border security practices in two borderscapes are improvised, contradictory and contested, and serve to establish authority rather than actually securing the border. This is apparent on three levels: (a) through the multiplicity of…

This report provides an overview of the Small Arms Survey’s Human Security Baseline Assessment findings with regard to the types of weapons observed in Sudan and South Sudan, their country of manufacture, and patterns of holdings among different actors that are indicative of common supply sources. Download

This paper looks at effects of climate change on vulnerable countries in Africa. The authors note that countries such as the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Guinea, Sierra Leone, Somalia, and South Sudan are particularly vulnerable to climate change because they are less resilient and have weak governance systems. It also underscores how climate change is increasingly becoming a security threat to most countries, which often prompts deployment of militaries to provide humanitarian assistance….

In an effort to move beyond the focus on the immediate threat of large-scale conflict, this report (2012) explores what type of state can realistically be expected to materialise in South Sudan in the short and medium term, given existing political economy and security constraints. It also discusses what this assessment implies for donor engagement. Download

This Issue Brief reviews arms flows and holdings among both state and non-state armed forces as of early 2012 thereby situating recent developments against historical trends and patterns of supply. Download

This report from early 2012 reviews civilian possession of small arms and light weapons (SALW) in South Sudan and processes to control this possession, including civilian disarmament. It begins with an overview of the history of South Sudan, followed by an analysis of the factors that have contributed to SALW proliferation and ultimately a ‘gun culture’ in the country. It then provides an overview of the problems that SALW are currently causing in South Sudan,…

This report discussess different aspects of violence and insecurity in Southern Sudan, focusing on local violence and current measures to address these challenges. In addition it presents some issues related to land and natural resource management and suggests some linkages between these issues and the growing local insecurity. Download

The majority of those living in the border region of Kenya, Sudan, and Uganda are pastoralists, whose livelihoods are dictated by the upkeep and size of their herds. Harsh environmental conditions force pastoralists to migrate in search of water and pasturelands during the dry season. With limited access to water and competing rights to land, inter-tribal conflict arises when pastoralists from one tribe enter the territory of another. The increased availability of small arms in…

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