South Sudan - conflict

Question 1

Reason for study:

Answer 1

• Looking at intervention by:
  
  • UN
  • National government
  • Charities
• consequences of conflict for local community

Question 2

South Sudan - historical context

Answer 2

• SS = relatively new sovereign state
• 2011 gained independence from Sudan
  
  • had been many years of fighting
• serious issues resulting from challenges to sovereignty
  
  • led to conflict

Question 3

South Sudan - resources

Answer 3

• SS = wealthy in terms of natural resources
• ## lot of oil reserves

Question 4

South Sudan - challenges to sovereignty

Answer 4

• political infighting between 2 large ethnic groups in the country
  
  • Salva Kiir is president
    
    • Kiir is a Dinka
  • Conflict with vice-president Riyad Machar
    
    • head of other main ethnic group, Nuers
• Ongoing conflict
  
  • started political but turned into full armed conflict

Question 5

SS - divisions

Answer 5

• Parts of SS controlled by various armed forces loyal to different ethnic groups
  
  • horrific consequences
    
    • 730 000 refugees fled to neighbouring countries
    • nearly 8 million people at risk of serious food insecurity
    • 1 in 3 children suffer malnutrition
    • 1.5 million internally displaced people

Question 6

SS - UN involvement

Answer 6

• 2011 UN sent in peacekeeping mission - UNMISS
  
  • help with formation of the nation
  • role took on bigger importance with worsening conflict 2013

Question 7

SS - UN involvement - personnel

Answer 7

• Personnel:
  
  • 12 500 military personnel
  • 1 000 police

Question 8

SS - UN involvement - mission mandate

Answer 8

• Mission mandate was to consolidate peace:
  
  • protect civilians
  • monitor human rights
  • deliver humanitarian aid

Question 9

SS - UN delivery - UNICEF

Answer 9

• UNICEF really important helping provide humanitarian aid
  
  • include food insecurity

Question 10

SS - UN delivery - WHO

Answer 10

• WHO help set up oral cholera vaccination campaign

Question 11

SS - UN delivery - UN high commission for refugees

Answer 11

• UN high commission for refugees
  
  • get government to sign international conventions
    
    • laws on refugee protection
    • co-ordinate between UN and SS government, sign treaties to help build nation
      
      • implement international law

Question 12

SS - UN successes 2015

Answer 12

• Peace Agreement Aug 2015
  
  • UN got groups together, talking to each other, implementing law
    
    • help citizens in their country re-inforcing sovereignty
• 2015 agreement ultimately failed

Question 13

SS - Importance of NGO’s

Answer 13

• NGO’s really important
• Work in co-operation with the government, also with UN,
  • implement humanitarian and development goals

Question 14

SS - number of NGO’s

Answer 14

• over 300 NGOs working in SS meeting humanitarian and development needs
  
  • 4 main examples:
    
    • Christian Aid
    • Medicine Sans Frontiers
    • Oxfam
    • Save the Children

Question 15

SS - Christian Aid

Answer 15

Example of Christian Aid work:
- Support local fisherman better fishing techniques
- help them catch more
- reduce long-term food insecurity
- fish better themselves improve sustainability and reduce need for aid
- example of bottom up project

Question 16

SS - Medecins Sans Frontieres

Answer 16

• Worked closely with UN
  
  • Set up cholera treatment centres
  • treated children for acute malnutrition

Question 17

SS - UN actions

Answer 17

• expanded civilian protection camps for idps
  
  • useful global governance by supranational institution
    - provide shelter rainy season
    - provide protection in dry season when fighting began between 2 ethnic groups

Question 18

SS - local consequences of conflict on communities

Answer 18

• Rebels attacked UN civilian camps
  
  • e.g. northern town SS, Upper Nile region
  • camp burnt to ground
    
    • 30 idps killed, 20 000 people displaced

UN present but not able to stop all human rights abuses

Question 19

SS - local consequences preventing NGO work

Answer 19

• NGOs couldn’t do work as well because:
  
  • SS one of most dangerous places to be an aid worker (routine attacks)
    - assault, shot
• NGO trying to support governance and law but difficult.

Question 20

SS - worse areas

Answer 20

• Upper Nile and Unity regions
  
  • Aid blocked
  • Resources extorted e.g. medicines taken by fighting armies

Question 21

SS - conflict impact to civilians

Answer 21

• nearly 400 000 people died in the conflict
  
  • 55% people suffer from food insecurity
    
    • fluctuations but food insecurity remains major long-term issue due to conflict

Question 22

SS - UN successes - 2020

Answer 22

• 2020 sign new peace agreement
  
  • ratified, took a while to get into place
  • largely took place because US threat to stop selling guns to SS

Question 23

SS - ongoing issues

Answer 23

• instability rife dispite peace agreements
  
  • 2.3 million refugees in SS
  • UNMISS is still around
    
    • originally only for a couple of years but mandate extended
    • 40 000 military troops (much larger than original)

Question 24

SS - success summary

Answer 24

• some success in some governance strategies
• SS problems not been solved
  - still significant problems for local communities living in SS