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ABSTRACT South Sudan has a long history of civil wars and intra-communal violence. Northern Bahr el-Ghazal (NBeG) state, including Aweil East County, similarly to other pastoralist and agro-pastoralist communities, stood out in terms of intra-communal violence. However, since the second civil war (1983–2005), larger-scale local-level violence has substantially reduced and conflicts are settled in different dispute resolution forums. This paper explores factors reducing intra-communal violence in Aweil East. It demonstrates that the Sudan People’s Liberation…

Analysing South Sudan’s politics of taxation from 1899 to 2023, this article argues that the ethos of taxation in the region has been and remains primarily oriented around predatory and coercive strategies of rule. Patterns of taxation and their origin are presented by considering taxation practices in colonial, post-colonial rebel-led, and independent South Sudan, to showcase how these practices continued to be yielded as a technology of rule, of coercion, and to fulfill the interests…

This meta-analysis offers an overview of the literature on governance in South Sudan in the CSRF repository by exploring salient and timely questions for donor-funded programming. These questions focus on  the reason why local governance structures differ in South Sudan and the implications for aid actors; the relations between national, state, and local governance institutions and the implications for state building endeavours; the impacts of conflict and food security induced displacement on governance and the…

Introduction Elephants are iconic animals in South Sudan, featuring on bank notes and state flags and in many myths and sayings. ‘When the elephants fight, the grass suffers’ is one example widespread across the African continent: a popular expression about the effects that conflicts among political and military leaders have on ordinary people. The size and power of elephants has always impressed people and made them important symbols in human cultures. Known for their equally…

With the next general elections set to take place in December 2024, this Review aims to tackle crucial questions around the delineation of new geographical constituencies in line with the recently passed South Sudan’s National Elections Act, 2023. The Review analyses the constituency threshold formula proposed by in the Act and uses the suggested calculation guidelines to construct the possible scenarios for the distribution of geographical constituencies, as well as considering the challenges that come…

ABSTRACT Many places affected by violent conflict are also those with the lowest capacity to respond to the impacts of climate change and, therefore, some the most vulnerable. Consequently, it is here where climate change most likely results in social tensions that could escalate into or sustain conflicts. This double burden of compounding conflict and climate risks suggests an urgent need for climate adaptation interventions. However, so far adaptation agendas are often poorly aligned with…

Unclear land rights, overlapping land claims and uncertain land security have characterised the history of South Sudan, and being exacerbated by the regular cycles of violence. By taking the cities of Torit and Wau between 2021 and 2022 as case studies, this article considers the practical interventions for land justice and the dynamics of land justice in South Sudan. This is done by conducting qualitative research with a focus on: (a) providing an overview of…

This report focuses on the use of biometric registration technology in the delivery of humanitarian aid in South Sudan. The report identifies conflict sensitivity risks and opportunities associated with the use of biometric technology, especially in conflict-affected and remote areas. Finally, the report outlines some recommendations on how to use biometric technology in a more effective, efficient and conflict sensitive manner.

This paper reflects international actors’ prevalent and persistent assumptions about South Sudan and illustrates how these have shaped international engagement for the last two decades. Drawing on the eminent “aiding the peace” evaluation report of 2010 and recent developments in South Sudan, this paper offers relevant recommendations for policymakers and practitioners to identify solutions to present dilemmas.

This analysis provides a snapshot on the diverse role of chiefs in development, humanitarian, and peacebuilding engagements in South Sudan. It highlights their prominent role in local governance, service delivery, community mobilisation, allocation of resources, etc., and thus showcasing the need for aid actors to better understand their role and interaction with aid provision. Lastly, the analysis piece provides a set of concrete recommendations for aid workers and peacebuilders in the interaction with these actors.

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