Conflict Cycles and the Management of Protected Areas in South Sudan

Jan 7, 2021 | Adrian Garside
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South Sudan, and southern Sudan prior to its independence, has been in a cycle of conflicts for more than 65 years, spanning three civil wars with numerous armed conflicts in between. Gains made in the wildlife sector, and other areas of development, during periods of stability have been quickly lost in the recurring wars. At the time of writing, the peace agreement to conclude the third of these civil wars has been signed and the Government of National Unity has formed. However, on the ground fighting continues with the remaining armed elements who do not support the deal, while armed community defence groups counter the lack of human security. Competition over natural resources has escalated to armed warfare, and the government is powerless to do much, being both predator and prey. These realities make it impossible to draw a clear dividing line between the start and end of this war, and the notion of post-conflict peacebuilding as a phase presents a very ambiguous entry point.

This is where the International Law Commission’s (ILC) temporal framing is useful: it recognises that war and armed conflict continue to have a huge impact on the environment, outside of the brackets we place around the period ‘during war’. This blog examines the different opportunities for wildlife conservation that were explored ‘before, during and after’ South Sudan’s most recent civil war.