Assessing the Impact of Military Reforms on Post-conflict Reconstruction in Jonglei State, South Sudan (2018-2023)

South Sudan has been characterised by a history of protracted conflict and instability that demands an in-depth assessment of military reforms and their impacts on the post-conflict reconstruction. The main objective of the study was to assess the impact of military reforms on post-conflict reconstruction of South Sudan between 2018 and 2023 using the case study of Jonglei State. The study was underpinned by Democratic Peace Theory. An exploratory mixed methods research design was adopted with stratified sampling and purposive sampling being used to select personnel from the Sudan People s Liberation Army, local government staff, United Nations Mission in South Sudan, United Nations agencies and International Non-Governmental Organisations personnel. Key informant interviews and questionnaires were used to source data. The qualitative data was analysed based on content analysis, while the quantitative data collected via questionnaire and statistics from documents was analysed based on descriptive statistics with the assistance of Statistical Package for Social Sciences. The study established that even though military reforms have been undertaken in Jonglei State, the reforms have not contributed significantly to post-conflict reconstruction. This was evidenced by the vast areas of Jonglei State that have remained volatile, with very little security and continued proliferation of dangerous weapons among the civilians. The dismal contribution of military reforms to post-conflict reconstruction is linked to the varied challenges the government of South Sudan is facing in instituting military reforms. The major challenges included inadequate resources to support the reform processes, such as the reintegration and unification of army factions, resistance from factions within the SPLA in opposition for various reasons, such as mistrust, political instability and fragmentation among political elites in the country, lack of local ownership of the military reform processes, with the processes being dominated by external partners. The study recommends Government of South Sudan source and allocate adequate financial resources towards military reforms. Fast-tracking the unification of the Sudan People s Liberation Army into one unified army that is devoid of affiliation to ethnic groups and political class should also be prioritised. Finally, the government of South Sudan should also institute a raft of economic reforms in the areas of employment, currency, and infrastructure, among others.