Stakeholder Perspectives on Priorities for Postconflict State Building and Peace Building in South Sudan.

Semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders about priority areas for postconflict state building and peace building in South Sudan revealed five key thematic issues: resolving border-related disputes, peace building and reconciliation among the various ethnic communities, promoting security sector reform and democratization, providing development infrastructure and social amenities, and creating employment, especially for the youth. To a large extent, respondents' responses were consistent with priority areas put forth in the government's policy framework. The research also identified respondents' perceptions of some of the underlying motives within the contextual historiography of South Sudan's protracted liberation war, conflict settlement, and policy issues in postconflict peace building. The identification of priority areas and perceptions, along with secondary data, allows formulation of what needs to be done to secure peace in South Sudan