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As previous BORDERLESS articles have highlighted, the conflict in South Sudan has created a drastic refugee crisis, with over 1.8 million people internally displaced and 2.5 million forced to leave the country. Languishing in camps, refugees are unable to return to their homes due to persistent fears of violence. Thus, ending the conflict is the first step towards the repatriation of South Sudanese refugees.
In August 2018, a peace deal was signed between South Sudanese President, Slava Kiir, and his rival (and former deputy), Riek Machar. While these two long-standing enemies have officially made peace, there are still splinter groups that reject the peace deal and continue fighting. One of these splinter groups is the National Salvation Army (NAS) formed by Thomas Cirillo. Cirillo, a former Deputy Chief of Staff in South Sudan’s military has called on both leaders to step down, blaming the entrenched establishment and “the two-man power struggle” for the country’s problems.[1] Cirillo’s accusations of an overmanned and ineffective governance system are certainly legitimate. Good governance indeed involves an equitable distribution of power such that villages and towns are granted a degree of autonomy over decision-making.[2]
While Cirillo’s demands are certainly justified, his method of attaining this governmental reform is erroneous. By leading a militarized opposition, he is only prolonging the conflict at a time when the peace deal needs to be implemented effectively. Recent fighting between the government and NAS forces in the country’s central and western regions led to 13,000 civilians fleeing their homes.[3] Hence, considering the present circumstances in South Sudan, there is a need to support the implementation of the peace deal. Efforts to reform the country can take place once the conflict has ended.
[1] https://news.vice.com/en_us/article/mbz3wa/key-rebel-leader-in-south-sudans-civil-war-rejects-peace-deal-and-refuses-to-lay-down-arms
[2] Ibid
[3] Ibid