Ethiopia’s Involvement in South Sudan’s Struggle for Independence, Conflict and Peace

Abstract

This article examines three successive Ethiopian governments’ involvement in South Sudan’s struggle for independence and its concomitant conflict and peace processes within the broad context of the north-east African security situation from the middle of the 1950s to the present. It argues that this framework is of value not only because it fills a narrative gap but also because it contributes to the ongoing debate about the nature of geopolitics in north-east Africa and the understanding of this volatile region. It also focuses on Ethiopia’s peace-building engagements in South Sudan and illustrates how the history of the two countries’ partnership for peace benefits the peaceful resolution of the current crisis. Finally, the challenges of finding a sustainable peaceful solution to the ongoing South Sudan crisis are examined and a conclusion consisting of recommendations is given.