Post-Conflict Constitution-Making: Dilemmas and options for South Sudan

Abstract

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.