Beyond Liberal Peacebuilding: A Hybrid Political Order Framework for Analysing Peace Processes in South Sudan

This article critiques the limitations of orthodox liberal peacebuilding models in the context of South Sudan's protracted conflict. It argues that the persistent cycles of violence and fragile peace agreements stem from a fundamental misalignment between imported institutional frameworks and the country's entrenched socio-political realities, characterised by competitive multi-level governance, neo-patrimonial authority, and complex identity formations. The article develops a novel theoretical framework synthesising concepts of Hybrid Political Orders, Political Marketplace theory, and Legitimacy Formation to provide a more nuanced analytical tool. This integrated framework is then applied to deconstruct key provisions of the Revitalised Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan (R-ARCSS), revealing the dynamic interplay between formal and informal institutions. The analysis yields significant implications for both peace theory and the practical design of interventions that engage with, rather than bypass, South Sudan's endogenous political logics.