Crisis of governance in South Sudan: electoral politics and violence in the world's newest nation

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Periodical article

Title:	Crisis of governance in South Sudan: electoral politics and violence in the world's newest nation
Authors:	Brosché, Johan Höglund, Kristine
Year:	2016
Periodical:	Journal of Modern African Studies (ISSN 0022-278X)
Volume:	54
Issue:	1
Pages:	67-90
Language:	English
Geographic term:	South Sudan
Subjects:	democratization political violence politicians
External link:	https://doi.org/10.1017/S0022278X15000828
Abstract:	Since mid-December 2013, thousands of people have been killed in armed conflict in South Sudan. The fighting is entrenched in a power struggle between the main political contenders ahead of elections which were scheduled for 2015. This article examines the violence in South Sudan since the North-South war ended with a focus on the consequences of the introduction of electoral politics. The research contributes to the literature on state-building and peace-building in war-torn societies, by exploring how the extreme levels of violence are linked to three groups of factors. First, the stakes involved in being part of the government are extremely high, since it is the only way to secure political and economic influence. Second, the actors involved in political life are dominated by individuals who held positions within the rebel groups, which increases the risk of political differences turning violent. Third, the institutions important for a legitimate electoral process, and which work to prevent violence, are weak or non-existent. Bibliogr., notes, ref., sum. [Journal abstract]