Contested Peace and Democratic Futures: International Actors in the South Sudan Conflict

Abstract

The conflict in South Sudan since December 2013 has devastated the lives of the majority of South Sudan people. It has killed tens of thousands, placed nearly a third of the population at risk of famine and ravaged key parts of the country. Against the backdrop of historical and narrative approaches by scholars and practitioners, the roles of international actors and the impact of violent conflict in South Sudan is yet to be contextually situated. While some see the causes of Africa’s problem as economic and linked to poverty, debt and structural adjustment programs from the international financial institutions, political and governance-related factors, others could relate it as the artificially carved African boundaries by which many regard it as a colonial creation that caused frequent confrontations as a form of interstate conflict. The historical trajectory of ethnic divide and political identity in South Sudan brings to fore the germane question of decolonization within the context of democratic values and ideals. This study, ‘roles of international actors and the impact of violent Conflicts on the democratic development in South Sudan: Rethinking the narrative’ is focused on a critique of the roles of international actors in the South Sudan conflict. The argument in this study seeks to advance knowledge with a paradigm shift from the parochial focus on international bodies as solutions to violent conflict situations while situating democracy within the context of decolonization. The study seeks to evaluate the source of recourse and relapse to violent conflict in spite of several conflict resolution and mitigation strategies and attendant impact of violent conflict on the democratic development in South Sudan. The study is exploratory with the use of secondary data and archival materials. The study will use qualitative measures in gathering data as it depends on secondary sources of data collection such as written text, archival materials, journals and online sources.