Nobody came to ask us

The report presents findings from interviews with 106 South Sudanese refugees in Ethiopia and Uganda, highlighting a widespread feeling of exclusion from the peace process. Key issues include a lack of trustworthy information, deep frustration with political leadership, and sharp divisions over the number of states in South Sudan. While all respondents desire to return home, many remain cautious, citing the need for proven stability and security before repatriation is safe.

• Refugees reported a significant lack of accurate and trustworthy information regarding the peace process, often relying on second-hand accounts, word-of-mouth, and the internet via smartphones.
• There is widespread frustration with South Sudanese political leadership, with many refugees viewing the leaders as being concerned with personal interests rather than national ones and advocating for new leadership through elections.
• The issue of the number of states in South Sudan is a major point of contention and division among refugees, with views often split along regional lines, ranging from support for a three-region federal model to the 32-state plan.
• While all interviewed refugees expressed a strong desire to return to South Sudan, many are cautious and believe several years of monitoring the peace agreement's implementation are necessary before it is safe to do so.
• Refugees expressed pessimism toward the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) as a mediator, citing perceived biases, the pursuit of member states' own interests, and a failure to address the root causes of the conflict.
• Despite the inclusion of some refugee observers in the High-Level Revitalization Forum (HLRF), most interviewed refugees felt they lacked a genuine voice and that the selection process for representatives lacked transparency.
• Perceptions of political representation varied by location: refugees in Gambella showed strong allegiance to the SPLM-IO, while those in Adjumani were more fragmented and often felt unrepresented by any of the parties in Khartoum.
• Female respondents specifically highlighted a lack of gender inclusivity in the peace talks, arguing that the process is dominated by men who do not understand the specific suffering of women.

APA

Mahmood, O. S. (2018). Nobody came to ask us. Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/ear-20.pdf

Chicago

Mahmood, Omar S. Nobody came to ask us. Institute for Security Studies, 2018. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/ear-20.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Mahmood |first1=Omar S |title=Nobody came to ask us |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |date=December 2018 |url=https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/ear-20.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{mahmood2018nobody, author = {Mahmood, Omar S}, title = {{Nobody came to ask us}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2018}, month = dec, url = {https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/ear-20.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }