State fragility and Food security: Assessing the Impacts of Armed Conflict on Rural Food Security in Central Equatoria Region of South Sudan. By Avoid Masiraha Supervisor Christian Webersik i | P a g e STATE FRAGILITY AND FOOD SECURITY: Assessing the Impacts of Armed Conflict on Rural Food Security in the Central Equatoria Region of South Sudan. BY Avoid Masiraha Supervisor Christian Webersik This Master’s Thesis is carried out as a part of the education at the University of Agder and is therefore approved as a part of this education. However, this does not imply that the University answers for the methods that are used or the conclusions that are drawn. University of Agder, 2017 Faculty of Social Sciences Department of Global Development and Planning ii | P a g e ABSTRACT. The primary thesis of this paper is to look at the impacts of armed conflict on rural food security in the Central Equatoria region of South Sudan. In the past 5 years since the outbreak of the conflict, South Sudan has been on record for severe food insecurity. The Central Equatoria region in the southern part of the country is a green belt and has always recorded good food security records relative to other states of the north. The central argument of this paper is that conflict has serious negative implications on food availability and food access by rural communities. The paper argues that the armed conflict arising out of the antagonism between the two leaders President Salva Kiir and former vice President Riek Machar has lethal implications on rural food security albeit in a green belt region. The displacement of people, closure of food aid and skyrocketing of prices are all outcomes of the current conflict whose consequences are felt heavily by the rural poor. The fragility of the region due to rampant communal conflicts and widespread poverty are key factors that have a bearing on food security in the region. The contention of the study is that armed conflict has serious negative implications on the rural poor compared to the urban counterparts. iii | P a g e Acknowledgements Firstly, I want to thank the Lord Almighty for the strength and wisdom to write this paper and for guiding me during my data collection period. Secondly, I give special thanks to my supervisor Christian Webersik for the guidance and the constructive criticism he gave to this work. The success of this paper is predicated on his wisdom and the direction he gave me during my writing. In the same vein l also want to mention all the lecturers in the Development Management course and appreciate their hard work and good heart during the two-year period. They made the course to be more interesting and provided enlightenment to various issues through their teachings. May the good Lord protect you. My appreciation also goes to Smile Again Africa Organisation (SAADO) in South Sudan for the help they rendered to me during my stay in Juba. My gratitude goes without mentioning the University of Juba specifically the Centre for Peace and Development Studies (CPDS) for the academic guidance and the security awareness during my stay in South Sudan. Lastly, I want to thank my mum Sarah Muputisi and my family for all the support they continue to give me. To my brother and friend Obey Sithole l am grateful for your support and words of encouragement. iv | P a g e Dedication. I dedicate this work to my mother Sarah Muputisi and my late grandfather Mr Munare Muputisi. v | P a g e Declaration I, Avoid Masiraha hereby solemnly declare that this research is my original work and affirm that it has not been submitted to this or any other University in support of any other similar qualification. Signed ________________________ Date _________________ Supervisor ________________________ Date __________________ vi | P a g e ABBREVIATIONS AFP: Agency France-Presse CMR: Crude Mortality Rate COW: Correlates of War CPA: Comprehensive Peace Agreement FAD: Food Availability Decline FAO: Food and Agricultural Organisation GOS: Government of South Sudan HRW: Human Rights Watch ICG: International Crisis Group IDPs: Internally Displaced Persons IFPRI: International Food Policy Research Institute IMF: Intwernational Monetary Fund IOM: International Organisation for Migration IPC: Intergrated Food Security Classification Phase IPCA: Initiative for Peace Communication Association IRIN: Intergrated Regional Information Networks NAS: National Salvation Front NGO: Non Governmental Organisation(s) NRC: Norwegian Refugee Council OLS: Operation Lifeline Sudan SAF: Sudanese Armed Forces SAHO: South African History Online SPLM: Sudan People's Liberation Movement SPLM-IO: Sudan People's Liberation Movement In Opposition SSBNS: South Sudan Bureau of National Statistics SSP: South Sudan Pound UCDP: Uppsala Conflict Data Program UN: United Nations UNFCC: United National Framework Convention on Climate Change UNICEF: United Nations Children' Fund UNOCHA: United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs UNPoCs: United Nations Protection of Civilian sites USA: United States of America USAID: United States Agency for International Development USDA: United States Department of Agriculture WASH: Water Sanitation and Hygiene WB: World Bank WFP: World Food Programme vii | P a g e Contents Page Declaration ............................................................................................................................ vi CHAPTER ONE ..................................................................................................................... xi 1.0. Introduction ................................................................................................................. 1 1.1. Main Objective ........................................................................................................ 4 1.2. Specific Objectives .................................................................................................. 4 1.4. Research Questions.................................................................................................. 4 1.5. Problem Statement ....................................................................................................... 4 1.6. Study Area ................................................................................................................... 7 1.7. Summary of the methodology ................................................................................... 11 CHAPTER TWO ................................................................................................................... 12 2.0. Literature Review and Theoretical Framework ........................................................ 12 2.1. Background of the conflict in South Sudan ........................................................... 12 2.2. The second Civil War and impacts on food security ............................................. 15 2.3. Conflict and famine in Sudan ................................................................................ 16 2.5. Signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement ................................................. 19 2.6. The post independent Conflict in South Sudan. .................................................... 20 2.7. Defining Conflict ................................................................................................... 21 2.8. The complexity of the conflict ............................................................................... 22 2.9. Defining Food Security ......................................................................................... 26 2.10. Dimensions of Food security ............................................................................. 28 2.11. Availability ........................................................................................................ 28 2.12. Accessibility ....................................................................................................... 30 2.13. Utilisation ........................................................................................................... 31 2.14. Stability .............................................................................................................. 32 2.15. World Food Security status ................................................................................ 33 viii | P a g e 2.16. Food security conflict nexus .............................................................................. 35 2.17. Theoretical Framework ...................................................................................... 38 2.19. Human Needs Theory ........................................................................................ 40 2.20. The New War Theory ........................................................................................ 42 CHAPTER 3 ........................................................................................................................... 45 3.0. Methodology ............................................................................................................. 45 3.1. The philosophical foundation ................................................................................ 45 3.2. Qualitative approach .............................................................................................. 46 3.3. Research design ..................................................................................................... 48 3.4. Data collection techniques ..................................................................................... 49 3.5.