South Sudan

Aly Verjee on recent developments in the peace process and what the U.S. can do to break the violent status quo.

With 84 percent of people worldwide identifying with a religion, faith influences local, national, and international decision-making. Across the globe, violent extremism often is couched in religious terms, and religious discrimination is on the rise. At the same time, people of faith and religious organizations frequently are on the frontlines of peace efforts, assisting communities affected by violence. Although religious considerations have been marginal to peace efforts historically, governments and peacebuilding organizations increasingly recognize the importance of religion.

The Latest Proposal by Mediators Won't End the War or Transform State-Citizen Relations

By: USIP Staff; Susan Stigant; Aly Verjee

À Propos du Rapport

Musicians and actors spur youth to push for an end to years of violent conflict

Friday, January 19, 2018 / BY: Nicholas Zaremba

David Mozersky; Daniel M. Kammen

BY: Aly Verjee

Regional leaders have endorsed the creation of a new peace initiative in South Sudan: the High Level Revitalization Forum (HLRF). The HLRF is intended to revive the stalled 2015 peace agreement in the country. This Peace Brief offers recommendations for the international community in anticipation of the launch of the HLRF, suggesting its success hinges on clarifying serious ambiguities that exist in its design, including the questions of who will participate and the extent of the agenda.

Summary

Study Pinpoints Link Between Food Shortages and Attacks by Extremists, Insurgents

Wednesday, May 24, 2017 / BY: Ore Koren

Experts on World’s Newest Country Lay Out Potential Strategies

By: Princeton Lyman and Kate Almquist Knopf

South Sudan marked its fifth anniversary as a state this month not with celebrations but with rival armed factions shooting at each other in the streets of the capital. Several hundred people were killed in less than a week, tens of thousands displaced, and even sacrosanct U.N. camps protecting civilians were attacked. South Sudan ceased to perform even the minimal functions and responsibilities of a sovereign state long ago, and today the likelihood of a larger pogrom and escalating civil war is high.

Statistics, Global Luminaries Highlight the Patterns

By Kathleen Kuehnast and Danielle Robertson

Understanding the Political Marketplace May Improve Results, Says Author De Waal

By: Gopal Ratnam

Princeton N. Lyman, senior advisor to the president at USIP, testimony before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Chairman Corker, Ranking Member Cardin, and members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, thank you for holding this hearing. It is an honor to appear before you today to present my views on the current civil war in South Sudan and how it may be brought to a close. The views I express today are my own and not necessarily those of the U.S. Institute of Peace (USIP), which does not take policy positions.

Sudan and South Sudan have seen numerous local peacebuilding efforts in recent years, yet violence continues largely unabated. Using the Western Corridor as a case study, this report outlines the importance of understanding and improving local peace processes through an architecture that begins with conflict analysis, entails a common vision, and focuses on achieving specific objectives. Also essential to the success of the process is including the right people—those with authority, with knowledge of the problems requiring resolution, and with vested interest in sustainable solutions.

Report of a Workshop by the National Academy of Engineering and the United States Institute of Peace Roundtable on Technology, Science, and Peacebuilding

Published:January 14, 2014

By: Andrew Robertson and Steve Olson

Published: January 8, 2014 By: Princeton N. Lyman, Jon Temin, Susan Stigant

Only two and a half years since its birth, South Sudan is in crisis. But, horrific as the violence since mid-December has been, the crisis also presents an opportunity to put South Sudan back on the path of democratization, good governance, and peace. USIP’s Princeton N. Lyman, Jon Temin, and Susan Stigant examine what needs to happen to create a foundation for lasting peace and stability.

Summary

USIP, Partners Release Report on Realizing ‘Responsibility to Protect’

By: Thomas Omestad

January 2013 | On the Issues by Andrew Robertson January 4, 2012

Andrew Robertson is a senior program officer in the Center of Innovation for Science, Technology and Peacebuilding at the U.S. Institute of Peace (USIP). Robertson was previously a director at the Corporate Executive Board, a consultant for FSI, Inc. and a research engineer for the Nissan Motor Company. He holds a PhD in the history of science from Harvard University and an ME in computer and electrical engineering from Dartmouth College.

Reflections on Current Challenges and Future Prospects

Special Report by Susan Hayward

Summary

The field of religious peacebuilding has begun to move closer to the mainstream of conflict resolution practice and theory. The 2011 unrest in the Middle East and North Africa—the Arab Spring—reflects ongoing challenges and opportunities for the field.

South Sudan celebrates the first anniversary of its formal independence and nationhood on July 9. Though hopes for progress remain high, the young nation is struggling on several fronts—internal security, relations with Sudan, development, rule of law and statebuilding. The specialists at the U.S. Institute of Peace who work on conflict management and peacebuilding programs in South Sudan examine the gains made and the many challenges ahead.