Escalating violence and political tensions in South Sudan have led to fears of a return to civil war. The country is undergoing a prolonged transition process that commenced with the 2018 Revitalised Agreement on the Resolution of Conflict in Republic of South Sudan (R-ARCSS) peace agreement.
PeaceRep’s longstanding research in South Sudan offers deep analysis into the roots and local perceptions of the conflict, which have informed recent reports and media commentary.
South Sudan Violence: Insights from PeaceRep research
In March 2025, a Nuer community militia called the White Army attacked units of the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF) in Upper Nile State, allegedly with the aim of community self-defence. The campaign quickly spiralled out of control as the government responded militarily and by arresting leading opposition figures and risking the fragile national transition process.
PeaceRep research shows that the current crisis is a culmination of long-standing historical grievances, political power struggles, and external narratives that obscure the true drivers of conflict.
Recent PeaceRep reactions in the media
In an article originally published in The Conversation, Jan Pospisil (Coventry University) examines the drivers of discontent and what is different this time compared to the outbreak of civil war in 2013.
Jan Pospisil offered expert commentary to TRT World on the drivers of discontent and how to avoid civil war.
Insights from PeaceRep research
South Sudan is currently undergoing a prolonged transition process that commenced with the 2018 Revitalised Agreement on the Resolution of Conflict in Republic of South Sudan (R-ARCSS) peace agreement. PeaceRep’s longstanding research in South Sudan offers deep analysis into the roots and local perceptions of the conflict.
PeaceRep examines perceptions of peace in South Sudan, including through a series of surveys recording daily experiences of safety and views on; elections, governance arrangements, security arrangements, trust in public authorities, civic space, national identity, and social cohesion. Browse the interactive dashboard to explore findings: Perceptions of Peace in South Sudan.
In addition, PeaceRep’s South Sudan research explores local peacemaking, public authority in the country, the key dynamics between Sudan and South Sudan and the impact of these dynamics on each other’s transition processes, the role of different types of financial flows on governance outcomes, and mediation. For example, PeaceRep research shows that international mediation efforts in South Sudan are fragmented (Logo and Mariani, 2022) and strongly regionalised (Peter and Houghton, 2023). The 2024 Tumaini peace initiative being held in Nairobi for the holdout groups is yet another example of this (Magara and Pospisil, 2024).
PA-X Tracker South Sudan profile
Explore key events and actors in South Sudan from 1990 onwards with the PA-X Tracker. Underpinned by PA-X Peace Agreements data, the Tracker allows easy exploration of peace processes, actors, implementation, and timelines.
PeaceRep South Sudan latest publications
Perceiving Peace in a Fragment State: The Case of South Sudan
This briefing aims to compare the empirical meaning of peace internationally and focuses on what peace means to people living in a fragment state, such as South Sudan, where armed violence is a regular occurrence in many of its parts.
Peace in Transition: The Case of South Sudan
Following a nationwide perception survey, this report paints a comprehensive picture of what peace looks like for those directly affected by armed violence in South Sudan.
Climate Security in South Sudan: Findings from the 2024 Public Perceptions of Peace Survey
This policy brief presents data on perceptions of climate security in South Sudan, and the need to strengthen climate security, adaptation, and disaster preparedness.
Third-Party Mediation in Sudan and South Sudan: Longer-Term Trends
This analysis of data on third-party mediation in Sudan and South Sudan signals important longer-term trends for conflict mediation efforts.
Local Peacemaking in South Sudan: PeaceRep Workshop Report
This report sets out the discussion points and key insights from a workshop on Local Peacemaking in South Sudan, organised and co-hosted by PeaceRep and the South Sudan Ministry of Peace Building in Juba in 2023.
Further reading
Browse all South Sudan reports and blogs.