South Sudan is making major strides in peace consolidation and strengthening
social cohesion since the signing of the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution
of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan (R-ARCSS) on 12 September 2018
in Addis Ababa. However, this paper argues that, despite these efforts, the center
is not holding as inter-communal violence and a myriad of political and security
dynamics are reversing many of these gains. As the conflict is protracted, peacebuilding remains a severe challenge while social cohesion remains weakened.
The paper commences with a conceptual clarification of social cohesion before
analyzing current evolving social cohesion dynamics and trends. This is followed
by a discussion of the social cohesion programming challenges and consequently
centers on Key Driving Factors (KDF) of conflict. Finally, the paper ends with an
analysis of the drivers of conflict and peace and makes recommendations for
strengthening social cohesion going forward.
Despite multiple ceasefires and peace agreements signed since the conflict began in 2013, the humanitarian costs to the citizens of South Sudan continue to grow.
Topic:
Civil War, Humanitarian Intervention, Negotiation, Violence, and Peace
Political Geography:
Africa, Sudan, East Africa, South Sudan, and Central Africa