A remarkably comprehensive examination of the politics, history and economic development of contemporary South Sudan. In 2011, South Sudan became independent following a long war of liberation, that gradually became marked by looting, raids and massacres pitting ethnic communities against each other. In this remarkably comprehensive work, Edward Thomas provides a multi-layered examination of what is happening in the country today. Writing from the perspective of South Sudan’s most mutinous hinterland, Jonglei state, the book…
repository
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.
Popular explanations for the outbreak of a new civil war in South Sudan have centred on ethnic factors and leadership personalities. This article demonstrates that the conflict is rooted in deep cleavages within the ruling political party, the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM). When internal tensions came to a head in late 2013, a combination of neopatrimonial politics, a weak state structure and legacies of violence from the previous civil war allowed this to escalate…
This meeting report is the record of an event on South Sudan: Beyond the ceasefire held on 27 February 2015 by the Rift Valley Institute Nairobi Forum. It refers to different key conflict dynamics such as power struggles, lack of accountability and patronage.
The paper locates the crisis of the post-colonial Sudan in its historical context and discusses the institutional legacy of colonialism and how that has affected citizenship in Sudan and South Sudan. It argues that the colonial project made a legal distinction, especially in how citizenship was defined. Link to publication
South Sudan is a prime example of how governance arrangements can either achieve and maintain peace, or become the trigger for civil war. South Sudan’s experience shows that the appropriateness of constitutional provisions to a local context remains key, and that the time-tested elements of good governance still matter: devolution and separation of powers, appropriate government and electoral systems, and strong institutions. In nations as ethnically diverse as South Sudan, decentralization is necessary for effective…
This report deals with recent trends in the ways in which international development aid is used to facilitate development and to prevent or transform violent conflict in areas of limited or contested statehood, based on a number of cases. South Sudan is one of the cases. Download
This article considers the 2005–12 Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration (DDR) programme in South Sudan. Current DDR practice centres on ex-combatants’ reintegration through encouraging entrepreneurship and selfemployment and thereby their willingness to take risks and responsibility. However, South Sudan’s DDR programme invisibilizes and obscures the excombatants’ endogenous capacity to adapt and generate an income. Based on in-depth interviews with participants of the DDR programme and key stakeholders, the article argues that DDR interventions seldom capture the…
This report focuses on recent developments in the border zone of Sudan and South Sudan. Download
This article provides an account of developments evolving around the 14-Mile Area in 2014. Located between Northern Bahr el Ghazal and East Darfur, the area is an ongoing topic for dispute, primarily between the Malual Dinka and the Rizeigat from East Darfur. Link to publication
This review provides an in-depth analysis into the new National Security Bill, focusing primarily on resultant public opinion and what the new law constitutes for the South Sudanese general constituency as it complements and cements the existing operational culture of the National Security Service (NSS).
Curious to broaden your search to Sudan?
Try our sister facility CSF