Analysis of the role of civil society in peace building of post conflict South Sudan after signing of comprehensive peace agreement:2005-2012

"This study is an assessment of the role of civil society groups in peace building in South Sudan after the signing of Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA). It seeks to analyze how local, national and international dynamics surrounding independence in July 2011 and the end of formal Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) process with Sudan have impacted on peace and conflict in 2011–2012, and how they are likely to influence peace and development in future. It also analyses some of the challenges and impact of peace building actors and institutions such as the civil societies and their strategies over the CPA period. The study established that the civil society in South Sudan has an increasing capacity developed through wartime and Diaspora experience, steady development in the CPA period and engagement with a growing range of donors. In particular, it is highly concentrated among the young, the educated and Equatorians. This said, it remains very weak relative to the government and is the subject of some distrust from the state. It was also noted in the study that service delivery was only effective for peace building when it creates entry points for other functions. During war and armed conflict, aid projects often take place in conflict-affected areas. The systematic use of such projects for additional protection purposes can enhance their peace building effectiveness. After large-scale violence ends or during periods of low levels of violence, aid projects can be very effective in creating common platforms of cooperation and dialogue for adversarial groups. The research findings indicate that the civil society played an important and effective role in peace building in South Sudan during all stages of conflict, and has contributed positively to the peace building process. However, a careful look at the engagement of civil society – compared to the involvement of other actors – reveals that the role played by civil society is not necessarily decisive in building peace, but rather supportive in most instances. The central impetus for peace building comes mainly from political actors, and above all, from the conflicting parties. These actors are often reinforced by strong regional actors. Nevertheless, the supportive role played by civil society can make a difference when performed in an effective way at the optimal time. Civil society groups in South Sudan have contributed effectively to the reduction of violence, the negotiation of settlements, and the facilitation of peace after signing of the CPA. Service delivery as such is seen as an economic task of the state, the market or the third sector. However, service delivery is connected to the civil society, as many of its actors have taken up service delivery parallel or alternatively to the state or the market. Service delivery, however, may be seen as a civil society function when it is directly linked to other civil society functions or objectives. Without this connection to other civil society functions service delivery has mainly economic or social objectives. Service delivery can only be important for civil society peace building where donors explicitly aim to contribute to local peace capacities and try to find entry points for peace building through service provision."