A Critical Analysis of Cultural Explanations for the Violence in Jonglei State, South Sudan

The paper argues that local violence in Jonglei State, South Sudan, is not primarily caused by secession, 'tribal' nature, inflated bridewealth, or Murle infertility. Instead, it attributes the insecurity to the militarisation of society during the civil war (1983-2005), the erosion of traditional conflict resolution mechanisms, and the government's failure to provide security and justice, which allows mass violence to occur with impunity.

• The claim that violence in Jonglei is a result of South Sudan's secession is incorrect, as widespread insecurity and violence existed in the post-war period since 2005. A significant shift occurred in 2009, where violence moved from cattle raiding to the targeting of women, children, and elders, resulting in over 1,200 civilian deaths and 26,000 displacements in Jonglei.
• The 'modernisation of tribal warfare' theory is flawed because 'tribes' are largely colonial constructs and the current severity of violence is due to the civil war's militarisation of society rather than just the availability of modern weapons. The civil war eroded local conflict resolution mechanisms and the 'code of fighting ethics' that previously prevented large-scale killings of women and children.
• While cattle are looted and bridewealth costs may have increased due to oil money, inflated bridewealth is not a satisfactory explanation for the increase in violence. Post-2009 attacks target neighbouring communities rather than cattle per se, and the violence is driven by complex factors including revenge and the interests of political or economic actors.
• The belief that child abductions are caused by low fertility rates or STDs among the Murle people is undocumented and lacks a proven causal relationship. Such abductions are part of a broader political economy of Sudan and are also carried out by other groups, such as Baggara Arab raiding parties.
• The primary driver of the ongoing violence is the lack of regulating local institutions and the government's inability to provide security, which creates an opportunity for mass violence to occur with impunity. Furthermore, coercive 'counterinsurgency' by state security forces often exacerbates friction and encourages the formation of village protection units.

APA

Rolandsen, Ø. H., & Breidlid, I. M. (n.d.). A Critical Analysis of Cultural Explanations for the Violence in Jonglei State, South Sudan. Peace Research Institute Oslo. https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/6f9b8089-1fcc-41ca-a0f8-87c7feb6da79/A Critical Analysis of Cultural Explanations for the Violence in Jonglei State South Sudan.pdf?inline=true

Chicago

Rolandsen, Øystein H., and Ingrid Marie Breidlid. A Critical Analysis of Cultural Explanations for the Violence in Jonglei State, South Sudan. Peace Research Institute Oslo, n.d. https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/6f9b8089-1fcc-41ca-a0f8-87c7feb6da79/A Critical Analysis of Cultural Explanations for the Violence in Jonglei State South Sudan.pdf?inline=true.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Rolandsen |first1=Øystein H. |last2=Breidlid |first2=Ingrid Marie |title=A Critical Analysis of Cultural Explanations for the Violence in Jonglei State, South Sudan |publisher=Peace Research Institute Oslo |url=https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/6f9b8089-1fcc-41ca-a0f8-87c7feb6da79/A Critical Analysis of Cultural Explanations for the Violence in Jonglei State South Sudan.pdf?inline=true |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{rolandsenndcritical, author = {Rolandsen, Øystein H. and Breidlid, Ingrid Marie}, title = {{A Critical Analysis of Cultural Explanations for the Violence in Jonglei State, South Sudan}}, institution = {Peace Research Institute Oslo}, url = {https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/6f9b8089-1fcc-41ca-a0f8-87c7feb6da79/A Critical Analysis of Cultural Explanations for the Violence in Jonglei State South Sudan.pdf?inline=true}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }