Inter-church committee and inter-clan conflicts in Rumbek East county, Lake State, South Sudan

Abstract

The study assessed the Inter-Church Committee and inter-clan conflicts in Rumbek East County, Lake State, South Sudan. It aimed to understand the nature of these conflicts, evaluate the Church's peacebuilding strategies, identify challenges, and explore ways to enhance sustainable peacebuilding efforts. Grounded in Protracted Social Conflict Theory and Galtung’s “A Mini Theory of Peace,” the research utilised a mixed-methods research design, targeting church members, clergy, leaders, elders, and opinion leaders in crisis zones like Cuei Kok and Malengagook. A sample of 346 primary respondents was determined using Krejcie and Morgan’s formula, complemented by 12 key respondents selected through purposive sampling. Data were collected through structured questionnaires for primary respondents and semistructured interviews for key respondents, providing both quantitative and qualitative insights for a comprehensive analysis. The findings reveal that the primary drivers of inter-communal conflicts in Rumbek East County include historical animosities, cattle raiding (25%), and resource disputes (12.5%), disproportionately affecting vulnerable groups. The Church employs peace meetings (28.6%) and preaching forgiveness (22.9%) as its main strategies for mediating these conflicts, with elders playing a pivotal role. However, financial constraints (42.9%) emerged as the most significant challenge to the Church's peacebuilding efforts, along with community mistrust, Church closures, and insufficient government support, all of which hindered effective conflict resolution and reconciliation initiatives. The study concludes that while the Church demonstrates considerable potential as a peacebuilding actor, it faces substantial challenges. It recommends enhancing the Church’s conflict resolution capabilities, securing funding, involving all stakeholders in peacebuilding processes, and implementing robust evaluation systems. This study provides a framework for refining peacebuilding strategies and establishes a foundation for future research and practice in conflict-affected areas.