Publications

The recent directive by South Sudan’s Minister of Finance & Planning, urging citizens to report neighbors who keep money at home, has sparked intense debate across economic, political, and social spheres. This article argues that money hoarding in the country is best understood not as criminal behavior but as a...

South Sudan’s prolonged macroeconomic instability emanates primarily from failure to enforce fiscal measures (i.e., strengthening governance), rather than the absence of laws or strong policy frameworks. Persistent economic contraction, hyperinflation, currency depreciation, incessant salary arrears, debt accumulation, and declining public confidence reflect sustained failures in the enforcement of the Public...

South Sudan’s scheduled national elections in December 2026 face grave uncertainty due to ongoing political turmoil, party divisions, and stalled implementation of the 2018 Revitalized Agreement (R-ARCSS). Armed conflict in Upper Nile state in March 2023 led to the detention and splitting of the main opposition, the SPLM-IO, disrupting peace efforts.

South Sudan, an oil-rich nation, is grappling with a profound and escalating debt crisis that threatens its long-term economic viability. This Brief investigates the root causes of this crisis, asserting that it is not merely an unfortunate consequence of external economic shocks but a direct result of a systemic failure...

This Brief assesses the challenges facing South Sudan’s Judiciary and the recent mass promotion of judges. The main challenges facing the Judiciary include capacity deficits, limited resources, and political interference. Political interference has manifested in various forms. For example, Judges have been removed from office without following the constitutional and...

On 28 May 2025, President Salva Kiir removed Justice Chan Reec Madut and Justice John Gatwich Lul, Chief Justice and Deputy Chief Justice respectively, in a presidential decree, read on the South Sudan Broadcasting Corporation (SSBC).

This study evaluates the trade dynamics between South Sudan and the East African Community (EAC) by conducting a comprehensive literature review and analyzing secondary data. It focuses on trade deficits, exports performance, Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) inflows, and the impact of Non-Tariff Barriers (NTBs).

This Weekly Review analyses the looming legitimacy crisis in South Sudan and how it may be averted. With the scheduled December 22 general elections as announced by the Chairperson of the National Elections Commissions (NEC), the President is bound by the provisions of the National Elections Act to dissolve by...

This Brief reviews South Sudan's economic diversification challenges and opportunities, focusing on agriculture, mining, and tourism. The research employs a systematic literature review to identify gaps and assess the complexities of diversification in resource-rich, post-conflict nations.

This Brief explores the causes of South Sudan’s spiraling inflation and depreciating currency, as well as the policy interventions needed to stabilize the currency and by extension, the economy. The immediate cause of the crisis is clear: pipeline disruptions due to the ongoing conflict across the border in Sudan have...