The Religious Variable of Peacebuilding and Statebuilding in the Republic of South Sudan: the Role of Christian Churches

Abstract

The Republic of South Sudan (RSS) is in a real quest both for a form of vi-able statehood and of sustainable peace since its independence on the 9th of July 2011. After more than 50 years of violent intra-state conflict, the people of South Sudan want to make a new beginning. Attaching the religious variable to the state-peace unit, permits us to explain the phenomena of statebuilding and of peacebuilding in the RSS. In this article, the author wants to show that religion, especially Christianity (Catholic and Anglican/Episcopal) has played and continues to influence a great deal the process of peacebuilding and thus of statebuilding in RSS. It highlights the challenges and predicts certain perspectives Christian involvement in the process of statebuilding could involve.