After inheriting a state in turmoil, Rin Tueny restored law and order, reshaping Lakes state into one of the more peace- ful states in the country (Ninrew, 2023a). A prominent South Sudanese NGO, Community Empowerment for Progress Organization, named Rin Tueny the recipient of its inaugural ‘State Gover- nor of the Year’ award in November 2022 (Sudans Post, 2022) despite extra- judicial killings and unlawful detentions being linked to the governor (UNSC, 2023, pp. 25–26).
The government’s main approach to law and order is deterring crime and violence. This approach relies on public awareness of the government’s methods and enough acceptance of these meth- ods to minimize public outcry. So far, Rin Tueny has managed this balance
by using inclusive governance practices in combination with extra-legal tactics. These effectively make him and his gov- erning apparatus the main source of legal action in the state. In this Briefing Paper, this mode of governance is called ‘inclusive deterrence’. In the following, the key components of inclusive deter- rence are identified and analysed, and the replicability of this approach in other parts of South Sudan is assessed.
Since Rin Tueny Mabor became governor of Lakes state in 2021, security has significantly improved. To pacify Lakes state, Rin Tueny has employed a heavy-handed, security- first approach that puts deterrence before compliance
with human rights and other legal standards. Nonetheless, even civil society organizations laud Rin Tueny’s apparent successes. This Briefing Paper explores the components of this ‘inclusive deterrence’ approach and the blind spots it entails. It also discusses whether this approach could be institutionalized if Rin Tueny leaves office to pursue a career at the national level.
Rin Tueny has achieved remarkable success in pacifying considerable parts of Lakes state, especially the Greater Rumbek area. Public perception data shows that everyday security has improved significantly during his tenure
and made both Rin Tueny and the Sudan People’s Libera- tion Movement-in-Government (SPLM-IG) very popular in the state.
The governance system in Lakes state relies on the strong role of security services in law enforcement, the concen- tration of all state resources in the hands of the governor, and a strengthened role of paramount chiefs, who have been reinstated as a formal layer of government. Even though widespread human rights violations by government security forces have been documented, public outcry has been largely muted.
The governance of Lakes state is highly centralized and predominantly relies on the governor’s heavy-handed approach to security; however, the recurrence of cattle- related violence and increasing political tensions in parts of the state cast doubt over the mid- and long-term pros- pects of this approach. It is unlikely that this system will continue when Rin Tueny is no longer governor.
Rin Tueny’s first step as governor was to organize the ‘Lakes State Consultative Conference’ in Juba in late June 2021. This was attended by representatives from the state and national levels, commanders from the SSPDF and other security forces, traditional authorities, and community representatives. The con- ference dealt mainly with the abysmal security situation in Lakes state, with attention on the prevalence of cattle rus- tling, road ambushes, revenge killings, and the proliferation of firearms (Lakes State Consultative Conference, 2021).
After two days of deliberation, the conference drafted 27 ‘people-driven’ resolutions on how to end the ‘lawless conflict’ in Lakes.11 These resolutions addressed the topics of security provi- sion, political inclusion, and economic development. Once formally adopted, the resolutions were widely disseminated across the state. These resolutions became the guiding framework for Rin Tueny’s inclusive deterrence strategy: tough security measures, including increased surveillance, capital punish- ment, and security sector reform. They also included strengthening both com- munity representation and traditional authorities’ role in curbing violence and crime. The resolutions were, in turn, explicitly backed and supported by the national leadership, despite some of the resolutions clearly running afoul of human rights norms.
Rin Tueny marks his territory
Lakes state has always been a critical area for the ruling SPLM-IG. Rumbek, the state’s capital, served as the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army’s (SPLM/A) capital from 1997 until the end of the Sudanese civil war in 2005, when Juba became the capital of the South. Since independence in 2011, there have been plans to move the South Sudanese capital back to Ramciel in Lakes state, a presently uninhabited area close to Yirol. Even though these plans seem far-fetched due to the lack of funds for such an undertaking, the Ramciel plan shows the importance
of Lakes state for the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement’s (SPLM) power configuration. Nevertheless, Lakes state, especially in Greater Rumbek, has remained largely insecure despite minimal armed opposition and a com- parably homogenous, largely Dinka, population. The unrest in this part of Greater Bahr el Ghazal also affects Pres- ident Salva Kiir’s home state of Warrap and has been a long-lasting problem for the SPLM.
After returning from the 28 and 32 state frameworks to 10 states in Febru- ary 2020, the Lakes state governorship was assigned to the SPLM. Makur Kulang Liei, a senior military commander from Yirol West, was appointed as the state’s first governor in 2020, under the newly formed Revitalized Transitional Govern- ment of National Unity (Radio Tamazuj, 2020). Given Makur Kulang’s good track record as a county commissioner in Yirol West (2010–14) in curbing cattle-related violence, his appointment underscored the government’s intent to control Lake.
https://www.smallarmssurvey.org/sites/default/files/resources/Lakes_state_BP_WEB.pdf
