Securing A “People’s Peace”: Lessons from Post-War Sierra Leone and How They Can Be Applied in South Sudan

ABSTRACT:Despite experiencing a brutal decade-long civil war, Sierra Leone since 2000 has remained largely peaceful. As one of the few recent examples of a successful postwar transition toward sustained peace and democracy, Sierra Leone offers important insights for proponents of peace in today’s chronic conflicts. This brief argues that a participatory “people’s peace” approach was an essential dimension of Sierra Leone’s transition and highlights important ways that grassroots engagement facilitated a successful peace process. Subsequently, this brief proposes that these lessons are applicable to South Sudan, where a protracted conflict has continued to affect many citizens, in spite of the successful signing of a revitalized peace accord in late 2018.