In the wake of decades of conflict, South Sudan requires comprehensive transitional justice to break the cycle of violence and build sustainable peace. However, as detailed by this Note, the South Sudanese government has undermined the potential for effective transitional justice by curbing the power of the judiciary and over-empowering the National Security Service—mirroring the repressive methods practiced by its Sudanese predecessor. In light of the consequent absence of rule of law in the country, this Note argues that international and domestic actors should shift their approach to transitional justice in South Sudan to focus on guarantees of non-recurrence rather than truth, justice, and reparation. This type of approach would encompass the judicial and security reforms necessary to strengthen rule of law and thus create conditions in which further transitional justice efforts, like those contained in the 2018 Revitalized Peace Agreement, are viable.
