Searching for Peace in South Sudan: Hope dies last

Recognised as an independent state in 2011, South Sudan is the youngest and poorest country in the world. Following secession, a new civil war began in 2013 and ended with a peace agreement in 2018. Some armed actors remain active, and the resulting insecurity is preventing the return of internally displaced people and refugees. The conflicts are intertwined and have pitted elites against each other, competing for power and national resources.
Perceptions of peace reflect the lived environment: Security and justice are the most frequently mentioned elements at the national level. Peacebuilding requires an institutional diversity of peace actors to cope with complexity, and national peace processes remain fragile in a fragmented context.