Living together in South Sudan

South Sudan uses a decentralized system with national, state and local levels. In rural areas, the local chain generally runs through County, Payam and Boma authorities; urban matters may involve a City, Municipal or Town Council. Under the Local Government Act 2009, local authorities support law and order, civic education, community dialogue, social and economic development, gender mainstreaming, and a safe and healthy environment. They may also impose legally authorized local taxes or fees. Traditional authorities are constitutionally recognized and often help manage community affairs. Customary law means locally established rules and practices used in governance or customary courts. It may support local dispute resolution, but it remains subject to the Constitution, legislation and fundamental human rights. Chiefs, elders and local committees often work with county representatives, women’s leaders and youth leaders to monitor agreements, organize dialogue and support reconciliation. Conflict management is a central part of everyday coexistence. Common disputes involve land, water, pasture, farming and herding, cattle raids, displacement, revenge attacks and the mobilization of armed youth. Community dialogue, mediation, early-warning systems, joint committees, local peace agreements and reconciliation are widely used. Serious crimes require the formal police and justice systems. There is no uniform national deadline or guaranteed outcome for mediation; a response may take place quickly at community level or continue for months. South Sudan is multiethnic, multilingual and multireligious. South Sudanese communities, refugees, asylum-seekers, returnees, internally displaced people and host communities may interact through local authorities, community leaders, humanitarian partners and civil-society organizations. Women and girls, children, youth, older people and persons with disabilities can face unequal access to decisions and protection. Gender-based violence, child marriage, forced marriage, patriarchal practices and conflicts between customary practices and human-rights protections remain serious risks. People can participate through local governance, civic education, constitutional and electoral consultations, community organizations, faith groups, women’s and youth groups, disability groups, market representatives and displaced-community representatives. Peace clubs, sports and cultural exchanges, Citizens’ Talks, women-led mediation and youth peace ambassadors provide additional channels. Practical access depends on safety, transport, literacy, gender norms and the capacity of the local institution. UNMISS, UNHCR and UNDP may support these activities, but they do not replace South Sudanese authorities. The Constitution protects peaceful assembly and association, expression, access to information, participation, movement and residence, religion, and ethnic and cultural language and customs. It also protects non-discrimination and access to official records, including electronic records. People have duties to respect the rights and freedoms of others, cooperate with law and order, and protect the environment and natural resources. Conflict, censorship, website blocking, threats, security restrictions and weak institutions can limit these rights in practice. Shared public spaces include markets, water points, schools, churches, mosques, sports venues, roads and trading nodes. Water points can support contact between host and displaced or refugee communities, joint maintenance and the handling of minor disputes, but access and safety depend on local resources and relationships. South Sudan has no nationwide public-space service with uniform rules. It also has no established national system equivalent to formal shared housing; host-home arrangements, refugee or internally displaced people’s sites, transit centres and community land arrangements are handled case by case. Digital coexistence mainly uses mobile calls, SMS and social platforms. Access remains uneven: in 2024, South Sudan had about 760,000 active mobile-broadband subscriptions and at least 3G coverage for roughly 18% of the population. Airtime costs, network coverage and security restrictions affect use, so digital channels do not replace face-to-face community mechanisms. There are also no nationwide standardized costs, registration steps or response times for participation, dialogue or customary mediation; fees may arise where local law authorizes them, while many protection and coexistence services depend on projects or humanitarian funding.