| dc.description.abstract | The African continent remains besieged by many armed conflicts. Since 1970, Africa has seen more than thirty wars, which have resulted in more than half of all war-related deaths worldwide and have produced about 9.5 million refugees.1 The conflicts have led to genocide in Rwanda and gross violations of human rights, including gruesome mutilations of large numbers of people, in Sierra Leone, Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Angola, Uganda and the Sudan. It is worth noting that South Sudan has experienced one of the longest and most tragic spells of armed conflict since 1956 and after independence of the Sudan. The Sudan has been a battle ground for two civil armed conflicts.3 The first was a civil war that lasted for 17 years from 1955-1972 which ended with signing of the Addis Ababa Agreement in 1972 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The second war lasted 21 years from 1983 – 2005 after which a Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) was signed on 9th July 2005 in Naivasha Kenya between the National Congress Party (NCP) and The Sudan People’s Liberation Movement / Army (SPLM/A). South Sudan has been plagued by armed conflicts for several decades, with the most recent and devastating conflict beginning in December 2013. This conflict emerged after President Salva Kiir accused his former deputy Riek Machar of attempting a coup, and it quickly escalated into a full-blown civil war that lasted for more than five years. The conflict was driven by a range of factors, including political and ethnic tensions within South Sudan, regional rivalries, and international efforts to build a stable and democratic South Sudan. Prior to this conflict, South Sudan had also experienced decades of violence and instability as a result of its struggle for independence from Sudan, which was marked by numerous armed rebellions and conflicts.There are several armed groups in South Sudan that have played a role in the country's conflicts. Some of the key armed groups include: Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA): This is the official military of South Sudan, formed in 1983 as the armed wing of the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) during the war for independence from Sudan, Sudan People's Liberation Movement-In Opposition (SPLM-IO): This is a rebel group that was formed in 2013 after President Salva Kiir accused his former deputy Riek Machar of attempting a coup. The SPLM-IO has been one of the main parties in the conflict that erupted in 2013, National Salvation Front (NAS): This is a rebel group that was formed in 2017 by former senior officials of the SPLM-IO who defected from the group. NAS has been involved in fighting against government forces in parts of South Sudan, South Sudan United Front/Army (SSUF/A): This is a rebel group that was formed in 2018 by former military chief of staff General Paul Malong. The group has been fighting against government forces in parts of South Sudan, Other militia groups: There are also numerous militia groups that operate in South Sudan, many of which are aligned with one of the larger armed groups. These groups often operate independently and have been responsible for widespread violence and human rights abuses in the country. In addition to the official military and rebel groups, there have also been several non-state actors that have participated in the conflict in South Sudan. Some of the key non-state actors include: Ethnic militias which have emerged throughout the conflict, with many of them aligned with either the government or rebel forces. These militias are often composed of civilians who take up arms to defend themselves and their communities, Private military contractors who have operated in South Sudan, providing military training, logistical support, and other services to government forces and other armed groups, Criminal groups: There are also criminal groups that have taken advantage of the conflict to engage in activities such as arms trafficking, human trafficking, and looting, and Foreign fighters from other African countries, such as Uganda, Sudan, and Ethiopia, who have fought on both sides of the conflict. The involvement of these non-state actors has added to the complexity and brutality of the conflict in South Sudan, exacerbating the humanitarian and human rights crises in the country | en_US |
