Politics of Identity and Conflict Resolution in Central Equatorial (Juba), South Sudan

  ABSTRACT : The study sought to examine the impact of politics of identity on Conflict Resolution in the context of Central Equatorial (Juba), South Sudan. This studyemployed a descriptive survey design; this involvedassessing of the characteristics of a particularindividual, and or a group. It determined the effectbetween variables and the relationshipbetween variables. The design waschosenbecauseitenabled the researcher to obtain information needed for the study;alsoithelped the researcher to focus on a single unit of study. In this case, the studytargeted a population of about 25,000 people of whichincluded;NGOs, Governmentofficialsfrom the ministry of internal affairs, local community members, INGO sofficials, religious leaders and local community leaders. The sample size of 315 respondentswasdeterminedusingSolvene‟s formula. The studyemployedboth interviews and questionnaire surveymethods for data collection. The collected data wasanalyzedusing SPSS in tabularform in terms of means of percentages, means and standard deviations. From the findings, the studyfound out that the politics of identitysignificantlyintersectwithconflictresolution efforts. Thesefindingsemphasize the need for inclusive dialogue and strategiesthatacknowledge diverse identities, as fostering a sense of commonalitywhilerespectingindividualityemerges as a pivotal approach in conflictresolution. The studythoughconcludedthattherewas a positive correlationbetween the two variables highlights the interplaybetweenidentity-drivendynamics and pathways to resolvingconflicts. The studyhoweverrecommendsthatthereisneed to encourage political leaders to adoptpoliciesthatemphasizeinclusivity and equalrepresentation for all identity groups in decisionmakingprocesses, as this can help mitigate feelings of exclusion and reduce the potential for identitybasedconflicts. It wasalsorecommendedthatthereisneed to implementeducational programs thatraiseawareness about the dangers of usingidentitypolitics to manipulate public sentiment.

KEYWORDS : Politics,Politics of Identity, Conflict, Conflict Resolution, Central Equatorial, Juba, South Sudan.