South Sudan, the world’s youngest country, has had a turbulent start to its existence as an independent nation. Although fighting has reduced in most parts of the country since the revitalised peace deal in September 2018, conflict and violence continue. More than four million people have been forced to flee their homes, 200,000 of whom are sheltering in UN compounds, and hundreds of thousands are refugees in neighbouring countries.

On 14 May 2019, the Rift Valley Forum hosted a panel discussion to launch The Struggle for South Sudan: Challenges of Security and State Formation. The book discusses solutions to the ongoing conflict and humanitarian crisis in South Sudan, bringing together essays from international and South Sudanese political scientists, economists and practitioners, with a foreword by Paul Collier.

The Forum reflected on key challenges and opportunities for peacebuilding and growth in South Sudan, and discussed the institutional legacy of colonialism, implications of the national identity crisis, and prospects for national identity building.

Moderator

Sarah Logan
Policy Economist

Discussants

Agyedho Adwok Nyaba
Communication Specialist

David Deng
Human Rights Lawyer

Geoffrey Duke
Peace and Rights Activist