Transitional Government of National Unity in South Sudan

Abstract

This paper examines the Transitional Government of National Unity constituted in South Sudan in 2020 on the terms of the 2018 peace agreement entered into by the warring parties. Despite the strategic importance of the transitional government to the country’s nation building, development and democratization, transitional government in South Sudan has been understudied and requires a more rigorous and systematic analysis. This paper has addressed this gap. Utilizing secondary data and analysing from the theoretical lens of humanitarian development approach and related and relevant literature review, the paper offers three main critiques of the transitional government; its failure in carrying out its interim mandate creditably which is an obstacle to development and democratization, the continuous extension of the transitional government beyond its formally stated term limits, and the perception that the grand coalition of political elite in the transitional government is using the transitional government to pursue narrow political and economic interests at the detriment of the people. This paper charges the transitional government on the speedy implementation of its mandate and the holding of elections and transfer of power to a democratic government with the continued support of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), the African Union (AU), the United Nations Mission in South Sudan, the citizenry and civil society organizations.