Comparative Analysis of Peace Agreement Implementation: The 2015 Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan (ARCSS) and the 2018 Revitalised Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCSS)

This comparative study critically examines the implementation trajectories of South Sudan's two principal contemporary peace accords: the 2015 ARCSS and the 2018 R-ARCSS. It employs a structured, focused comparison to analyse key variables, including security sector reform, transitional governance, and transitional justice mechanisms. The analysis reveals that while the R-ARCSS incorporated lessons from the ARCSS collapse, its implementation has been similarly hampered by elite intransigence, resource competition, and a lack of credible enforcement. The article argues that the persistence of a militarised, neo-patrimonial political economy fundamentally constrains the transformative potential of formal peace architecture in South Sudan, necessitating a re-evaluation of implementation strategies and international engagement.