Multi-disciplinary area studies of failed states: The analysis of civil wars and the prospect for peace in the new born South Sudan

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K12527
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 80010:Area studies-related
• Research Institution: National Institutes for the Humanities (2022); Osaka University (2019-2021)
• Principal Investigator: Kurimoto Eisei 大学共同利用機関法人 人間文化研究機構本部, 大学共同利用機関等の部局等, 理事 (10192569)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: 南スーダン / 失敗国家 / 内戦 / 民族紛争 / 権力分有 / 汚職腐敗 / 平和構築

Outline of Final Research Achievements

South Sudan, which fought the Sudanese Civil War for 22 years until 2005, became independent in 2011.This new country slid into a civil war at the end of 2013,which continued for 5 years. By May 2023, peace agreements are only partially implemented. The failure of the state of South Sudan could be attributed to the failure in the transformation from the war-time to peace-time regime.The situation of instability and inadequate democratic system that politico-military leaders could exploit for their own personal gains became even more salient after 2005. Reconciliation among deeply divided and mutually hostile peoples showed no progress. The responsibility of UN and international community, which have been engaged with long-term and massive humanitarian, post-war development and peacebuilding assistances should be also questioned.

Free Research Field

文化人類学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

南スーダンは、2011年の独立の時点ですでに失敗国家であり、その後さらに失敗の度合いを強めていった。これは失敗国家の極端な事例であるが、その過程を、内在的と外在的両方の要因に注目し、政治的、社会的、歴史的文脈の中で理解することは、失敗国家一般の研究を深めるうえで学術的意義が高い。また、長期間にわたり、国民を激しく分断して戦われた内戦の終結後に、国連と国際社会の関与のもとに実施される、戦後復興と平和構築の適切なあり方を追求するうえで重要な参照点になるという点で、社会的な意義も高い。最後に、失敗国家の研究は、人文学と社会科学における永遠の主題である国家に関する研究に、新たな視点をもたらす。