Open Access
Post-Conflict Constitution-Making: Dilemmas and options for South Sudan
Edited by Joseph Geng Akech Geng & Charles Manga Fombad
2026
ISBN:978-1-0672373-3-2
Pages: 241
Print version: Available
Electronic version: Free PDF available
About the publication
Post-conflict constitutional reform often encounters complex questions such as: How does a country ravaged by conflict and political fragmentation rebuild itself to achieve lasting peace and sustainable development? South Sudan stands at a historic crossroads – struggling to restore internal cohesion while emerging from decades-old ashes of destructive political violence. At the heart of this conundrum lies constitutional reform as a critical instrument for national renewal, capable of fostering unity and realising citizens’ shared aspirations for justice, liberty, and prosperity. Constitutional engineering, therefore, is not merely an exercise in technical drafting or legal wordsmithing; it is a national political process that requires broad consensus. Drawing on comparative insights, this book examines how and why post-conflict constitutions are adopted to facilitate the transition from conflict to a stable and inclusive political order.
Table of Contents
Contributors
Foreword
Endorsements
Acknowledgments
Acronyms and abbreviations
1 Making a ‘new’ constitution in a post-conflict context: An introduction
Joseph Geng Akech Geng
Charles Manga Fombad
2 Constitution-making in South Sudan: Issues of self-determination
Hadi Strømmen Lile
3 The politics of constitution-making: An analysis of political parties and groups in post-conflict South Sudan
Abraham Kuol Nyuon
4 Ethnic politics in constitution-making: Safeguards for protecting minorities
Garang Yach James
5 Women in governance: Examining the constitutional (in)adequacy of the 35-per cent quota
Margaret Mathew Mathiang
6 The constitutionality of South Sudan’s land tenure system: Making a case for reform
Gabriel Mading Apach
7 Does the land belong to the communities? Critical land tenure issues in the post-conflict constitution-making process in South Sudan
Nhial Tiitmamer
8 Constitution-making in post-conflict transitions: Towards a transformative judicial design
Peter Garang Geng
9 The role of the Bar in the defence and promotion of the rule of law: Lessons for South Sudan
Deng’ Kur Mading
10 The successes and challenges of constitution-making in Uganda: Lessons for South Sudan
Nixon Wamamela
11 Exploring post-conflict governance options for South Sudan’s ‘permanent’ constitution-making process
Dhieu Mathok Diing Wol
12 A ‘new’ post-conflict constitution: A mere aspiration or an achievable reality?
Joseph Geng Akech Geng
Charles Manga Fombad