Nobody came to ask us: South Sudanese refugee perceptions of the peace process

This report by the Institute for Security Studies examines the perceptions of South Sudanese refugees in Ethiopia and Uganda regarding the conflict in their home country and the IGAD-led peace process. Based on interviews conducted in July 2018, the document highlights a significant gap in communication between peace negotiators and refugee populations, widespread frustration with political leadership, and deep divisions over the future administrative structure of South Sudan.

• South Sudanese refugees experience a severe lack of accurate and trustworthy information regarding the peace process, relying heavily on the internet and word-of-mouth. Many express distrust in social media as a source of news, viewing it as biased.
• There is widespread frustration with the political leadership of South Sudan, specifically President Salva Kiir and Riek Machar. Many refugees believe the leaders are motivated by personal interests rather than national needs and advocate for new leadership through elections.
• Refugees perceive the root causes of the conflict as an intersection of tribalism and politics, compounded by a 'military mindset' among leaders who transitioned from liberation struggles to civilian administration without changing their approach.
• The number of states in South Sudan is a highly contentious issue, with views divided along regional lines. While some support the 32-state model decreed by Kiir, others advocate for a three-region federal model (particularly those from Equatoria) or a return to the original 10 states.
• Refugees expressed significant pessimism toward the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) as a mediator, accusing member states of pursuing their own interests and failing to take punitive action against spoilers.
• Despite the inclusion of some refugee representatives in the High-Level Revitalization Forum (HLRF), most interviewed refugees felt they had no voice in the process and criticized the lack of transparency in how representatives were selected.
• While all interviewed refugees expressed a desire to return home, many are cautious and believe several years of monitoring the implementation of peace agreements are necessary before it is safe to do so.
• There is a perceived lack of gender inclusivity in the peace process, with female refugees noting that the talks are dominated by men who do not understand the specific suffering of women.
• Refugees in Gambella showed strong support for Riek Machar and the SPLM-IO, viewing them as their primary representatives, whereas refugees in Adjumani were more divided and critical of both Machar and Kiir.

APA

Institute for Security Studies (n.d.). Nobody came to ask us: South Sudanese refugee perceptions of the peace process. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/ear-20.pdf

Chicago

Institute for Security Studies. Nobody came to ask us: South Sudanese refugee perceptions of the peace process. n.d. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/ear-20.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Institute for Security Studies |title=Nobody came to ask us: South Sudanese refugee perceptions of the peace process |url=https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/ear-20.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{instituteforsecuritystudiesndnobody, author = {{Institute for Security Studies}}, title = {{Nobody came to ask us: South Sudanese refugee perceptions of the peace process}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, url = {https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/ear-20.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }