Inter-Communal Violence in South Sudan

John Prendergast, Jennifer Christian and Amanda Hsiao of the Enough Project posted a thoughtful essay titled Dealing with Inter-Communal Violence in South Sudan 9 February 2012 on the e-International Relations website.

They explained that the inter-communal violence in Jonglei Province between the Murle and Lou-Nuer peoples has underscored the weaknesses in South Sudan's security and policing sectors. It has also emphasized underlying issues of a lack of accountability and political inclusion, as well as the breakdown of authority structures, which collectively threaten to erode the fragile social and political stability of South Sudan.

They urge a concerted inter-communal reconciliation process that engages the government of South Sudan, civil society, the Sudan Council of Churches, and traditional community leaders with support from the UN peacekeeping mission and donor nations. South Sudan must assume leadership of the effort in order to achieve a sustained peace between the two communities. It is necessary to increase the security capacity of appropriate organizations to ensure civilian protection. There must be grater accountability for crimes committed in the context of inter-communal violence. There needs to be greater political representation of both the Lou-Nuer and Murle communities at the state and national levels of government.

This essay and many others are found at the e-International Relations website, which was founded in 2007 by a group of postgraduate students from several universities in the United Kingdom. It is worth checking out this student-led initiative.