Influence of Inter-Communal Conflicts on Human Security in Torit County, Eastern Equatoria State in South Sudan
Abstract
This study established the influence of Inter-Communal Conflicts on Human Security in Torit County. Specifically, the study established the nature of Inter-communal conflicts and their influence on economic interactions, analyzed the emerging dimensions of human insecurity interventions to inter-communal conflict, and examined how effective the emerging dimensions of human insecurity interventions are in addressing to inter-communal conflict in Torit County. The study was anchored on Conflict Transformation Theory and Problem-Solving Theory. survey research design was utilized and a random sampling procedure was employed to select a sample of 200 from a target population of 400 security personnel in the study area. The methods of data collection were questionnaire and key informant interviews. Descriptive statistics and content analysis were the methods of data analysis. The study established that political incitement (31%) is the major cause of inter-communal conflicts, the major economic effect of the inter-communal conflicts is migration (33%), the common measure that has been utilized to avert inter-communal conflicts in the study area is holding of community meetings (36%), that majority interventions to inter-communal conflicts have not been effective (54%) because of political interference (33%). The study concluded that the major cause of inter-communal conflicts is political incitement because politicians utilize the poverty situation to incite the members of the community to fight in order to retain their political seats or for other benefits. The study also concluded that the common measure that has been utilized to avert inter-communal conflicts in the study area is the holding of community meetings where elders from communities meet to discuss and solve a conflict involving communities to curb confrontation or losses associated with conflicts. In addition, the study concluded that despite the measures put in place to address the perennial inter-communal conflicts still the problem persists because of political interference. The study recommended that there is a need for severe penalties for politicians inciting community members to engage in inter-communal conflicts. Also, the government should subject community elders to intense training on conflict resolution methods and techniques to help them have knowledge on how best to address inter-communal conflicts.
Keywords: Inter-Communal Conflicts, Human Security, Emerging Dimensions.
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