South Sudan and Sudan’s borderlands are run by a patchwork of armed authorities. This report reflects on the Sudan-South Sudan borderland economic systems to understand the impact of disrupted oil income on state stability. The research found that economic system and public authorities in the borderlands are relatively stable within their zones of control. However, issues of water, flooding and pollution, alongside the resulting resettlement aimed at accessing market incomes have deeply affected the population,…
Entries by Rift Valley Institute
Produced by Rift Valley Institute, this report focuses on the long-awaited democratic election in South Sudan. The report finds that there is little incentive to organise democratic election in the country due to several reasons, including limited election investment in the election process as well as the entrenchment of rent extraction among armed actors, and a generalised lack of political will. The report provides some practical steps for organising democratic elections, such as providing safety…
This research makes concrete programmatic, administrative and funding priorities for supporting women’s leadership work – rooted in a thorough investigation of the ways women of different socio-economic background fight to take up positions of authorities in the country. The process is recognized as being non-linear, uneven and socially complex, with stark differences between urban and rural spaces, across geographic regions and social classes. The research also highlights the crucial differences between participation and recognition, at…
Girls and women in South Sudan face numerous barriers and challenges: customary law often denies women the right to own land, girls’ access to education remains precarious and harmful traditional practices continue to place women and girls at risk of gender-based sexual violence. In South Sudan the traditional practice of blood compensation for murder is used by many communities as part of the reconciliation process between families and communities. The legality of the practice, which…
Using the case study of Faratit communities in Western Bar El Ghazel State, this paper explores the importance and use of traditional health practices. The paper identifies factors that motivate these communities to pursue traditional and spiritual services, as well as the related approaches to access these informal health services. Taking into account the enduring importance of traditional healing practices in South Sudan, this paper provides a set of recommendations on how formal and informal…
The paper reflects on the practice of good governance in South Sudan, focusing in particular on the forces hindering the fight against corruption in the country. Through data collection, the paper identifies the most common manifestations of corruption in South Sudan society as embezzlement, tribalism, and bribery, which thrive in the context of weak law enforcement system and economic catastrophe. Beyond its analysis, the paper provides recommendations for different stakeholders in the fight against corruption,…
This Anthology was developed by the Rift Valley Institute, and it includes their research produced over the period of 2001 and 2021. As such, the Anthology spans a vast array of topics, including elections, epidemics, mobilisation and resistance, war, etc. Read more here
This report (1 of a series of 3) provides an analysis of the key actors in the Juba Peace Agreement (JPA). The negotiations for the JPA started in September 2019 in the South Sudanese capital by representatives of Sudan’s new civilian-military transitional government and a collection of Sudan’s armed and civilian opposition groups comprising the Sudanese Revolutionary Front (SRF). The initial agreement was reached in August 2020, with the official signing taking place on October…
This report discusses the political economy of the Juba peace agreement, which was signed by the government of Sudan and a host of rebel groups in 2020. The report argues that the JPA has tried but failed to address inequality between the centres and the peripheries. This is particularly due to its power and wealth sharing formula which favours peripheral militia leaders whose main priorities are the acquisition of wealth and gathering of loyalty, at…
This paper focuses on the potential for a regionalization of the conflict between the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), including external involvement by Sudan’s neighbours and cross-border spill-over. KEY POINTS There has been limited regional engagement in Sudan’s conflict and there are currently strong disincentives for involvement. For now, most regional states are hedging their bets and pushing for greater regional engagement in mediation efforts and an eventual peace negotiation….