Abstract: The study robustly examines the role of the United Nations in South Sudanese state-building and failure. In South Sudanese state building, the United Nations family of United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) have been viewed to have built South Sudanese state through support to peace building and mediations, support to the states programmes and national programmes such as Governors forums and reconstruction activities of South Sudanese state. However, UNDP and UNMISS have failed South Sudanese state through associated regime change agenda. UNDP capacity sucking out in-lieu of capacity building demonstrated the UN desire to fail South Sudanese state. UNMISS’s biased role during 2013 political conflicts is seen as state failure strategy. This was revealed in 2014 when the UN marked Container Truck carrying goods to Bentiu was impounded by the SPLA and later found to be carrying ammunition. UNMISS failure to protect civilians during 2013 and 2016 conflicts was viewed as an act of state failure of South Sudan. On methodology, the study used primary and secondary sources in understanding the role played by UN in South Sudanese state-building and failure. Primary data include the use of questionnaires and interviews in tapping the understanding of the role played by UNDP and UNMISS in state building and failure of South Sudan. Secondary sources include the use of empirical literature review in deeply understanding the UN’s hand in South Sudanese state-building and failure. The study used a sample size of 200 respondents with sample types of persuasive and cluster sampling combined. The study also combines process tracing and case study methods to contextualize and validate causal chains and empirical casual processes of the UN role in South Sudanese state-building and failure The results of the study indicate that the United Nations and particularly, the UNMISS negligently contributed to South Sudanese state failure than building through its strategy to stay neutral and above all, its failure to protect civilians in the 2013 and 2016 political conflicts. Finally, the study concludes on the need of South Sudanese Government to take its constitutional role in providing development services and protect its citizens in the eventuality of political violence and civil war in South Sudan. The study recommends future research on how the UN family (UNDP and UNMISS) and Government of South Sudan can improve their working relationships for sustainable state building and prosperity of South Sudanese citizens.
Abstract: The study robustly examines the role of the United Nations in South Sudanese state-building and failure. In South Sudanese state building, the United Nations family of United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) have been viewed to have built South Sudanese state through support to peace buildi...Show More