Different forms of localised peacebuilding in South Sudan

This paper examines localised peacebuilding mechanisms in South Sudan – including peace conferences, peace committees, and traditional practices and rituals – assessing their contributions to conflict resolution and explore stakeholders’ perceptions of sustainable peace. Drawing on ten semi-structured interviews with local peacebuilding leaders, triangulated with NGOs and UN reports, the study adopts a qualitative approach. It asks how local and traditional peacebuilding approaches resist elite interference, arguing that such mechanisms help resolve conflicts and provide partial safeguards by countering the militarisation of local structures, the politicisation of identity, the undermining of grassroots peace mechanisms, the imposition of elite bargains, and the exploitation of vulnerable groups such as youth and women. Findings show that localised peacebuilding offers important but limited safeguards against national-level political tensions. Hybrid peacebuilding model should empower communities through internal support, skills, and knowledge, ensuring that peace is locally owned, culturally relevant, and embedded in practices and rituals.