Protection through peacebuilding in South Sudan

Transferring Policy: The African Union's Protection of Civilians Policy in Peacekeeping Missions in Somalia and South Sudan

“…In addition, the peace processes were negotiated on the wrong assumption that South Sudanese political elites would implement an agreement toward the well-being of the people (Donais and Solomon, 2022). In fact, ongoing conflicts are also part of the "unresolved power struggle among an ageing political class" (Donais and Solomon, 2022). Muddying the rivalry contestation is the promise of economic spoils gained from a high political office used for self-enrichment and ethnic military patronage.…”

“…In addition, the AU liaison office in Juba does not view its own efforts in relation to PoC, neither does it see PoC as part of its mandate. A challenge in South Sudan is that the AU and external actors seek quick fixes instead of identifying opportunities to work on longer-term engagements (Donais and Solomon, 2022). Beyond high-level visits and engagements in the Reconstituted Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission, the AU has not supported a process of accountability or ended impunity and crimes committed against civilians (HRW, 2021).…”

Failed Peace in South Sudan? Exploring Unarmed Civilians and Local Peacekeepers through the Work of Nonviolent Peaceforce

“…Another case, shared with Rotary Peace Chula by Florington Aseervatham, the former NP Country Director in South Sudan, was when he and his team acted in different levels of intervention to provide support to the affected communities following an outbreak of violence in Pibor County in Jonglei State in 2015 (Aseervatham 2015). With their international identities and physical presence, he argued that NP in South Sudan was able to protect civilians, especially women and children, from attackers carrying weapons (Donais and Solomon 2021). Additionally, Aseervatham (2015) shared another experience in which his team found and brought to the hospital for medical treatment a 9-year-old girl, hiding in the bush for 10 days after being thrust through the torso.…”

“…While consolidating institution-building and myriads of local peace in liberal peacebuilding activities are now consolidated in the three pillars of the UN's PoC doctrine, the reality of failed peace in South Sudan is becoming a self-fulfilling prophecy. (Deng 2018;Day 2021;Donais and Solomon 2021). Despite recent updates and new commitments of the UN to renew the mandate of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), there is an alarming concern about the normalisation of violence where existing orthodoxies and failures of PKO in South Sudan is rather apparent (Moro 2022;Martell 2019;Millar 2022).…”