Examining the impact of ethnic confliction socio-economic growth in Pageri County South Sudan [2013-2016]

Abstract

The study was to examine the impact of the ethnic conflict on socio-economic growth in South Sudan. It focused on a case of Pageri County.It was guided by the three research objectives; i) to examine how political insecurity has affected the economic status in Pageri County, ii) to examine the extent to which ethnic tension has contributed to displacement of people in Pageri County and iii) to find out how ethnic conflict has affected basic service delivery to the people in Pageri County. The study used a cross sectional research design basing on both qualitative and quantitative data. In addition the study used purposive sampling and sample random sampling methods; it used a sample size of 153 respondents. Findings revealed that ethnic conflict is one of the major contributing factors to the poor economic status of Pageri County.It was also revealed that that poor infrastructure in the area is as a result of ethnic conflict in the country.Results also revealed that forced migration in seek of safe environments, this forces people to abandon their homes/ property, land is turned into a war zone between rival tribes fighting over the scarce limited resources. In conclusion, it was observed that the other social consequence of ethnic conflict is psychological impact of the violence in the Pageri County. In many instances of armed conflict and political violence, the peace of mind of a populace would be one of the first as well as one of the most long lasting but invisible causalities. The study recommends that the security should seize to collect the weapons the people used to fight. The government should have peace dialogue with the opposition parties, NGOs with the help of government should give financial support and resettlement packages to victims of the conflict in the county. The governments and other stakeholders should give scholarship to children to retain them in school, rebuilding health facilities, increase small-scale credit facilities for women to enhancing life opportunities, counselling services to conflict victims to improve lives of the women and children in the county. . Another recommendation to the government is that there needs for to build a strong economic structure, strong institutions and policies that can weather through an ethnic warfare without being greatly affected.