TITLE:
Security Implications of Using the Military in Maintaining Peace through Internal Security Operations, a Case of Central Equatoria State—Juba
AUTHORS:
Lual Chol Kur, Erick Bor, Panuel Mwaeke
KEYWORDS:
Illegitimate Use of the Military, Civilian Experiences, Human Right Abuses
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Political Science,
Vol.14 No.1,
January
22,
2024
ABSTRACT: The research studies
security implications for military personnel maintaining peace through internal
security operations in Central Equatoria State (CES), Juba, South Sudan. The
overarching objective of the study is to examine the continued rising
insecurity despite the deployment of Military personnel and other Law
enforcement agencies to suppress internal security operations in CES. The research assesses the type of threats that compelled the deployment
of the military to control internal security operations in CES; explores
civilians’ experiences and interactions with the military personnel, executing
internal security operations and their propensity to influence insecurity; and
establishes the impact of using military combat orientations to suppress
violence and quell armed groups in CES. The research utilizes mixed research
methodology, such as qualitative and quantitative data. The study also reviewed
the literature and included the Separation Theory by Huntington.The study
reveals significant threats, as explained by empirical statistics outcomes from
the key indicators such as unabated inter-ethnic conflicts fueled by warlords
(13%), incapacity of the police (73%), presence of militias and violence meant
to undermine government (9%), political conflicts (8%), and generals who were
not well compensated (6%), and illegitimate military (26%). These empirical
data signify that civilian experience life threats with the military personnel
executing internal security operations. The life threat includes human rights
abuses such as; deaths, rape cases, gunshot injuries, burning down houses and
corporal punishments. Finally, the research provides recommendations.