How Peaceful is Peaceful? : A Case Study of Intertribal Relations Among South Sudanese Refugees in Maaji II Settlement, Uganda

Abstract: When people flee armed conflict, they often end up in refugee settlements in neighboring countries. In the case of South Sudanese refugees, they will often find themselves living next to people from the opposite side of the conflict. Although tensions and conflicts have been seen in many of these settlements, other settlements remain relatively calm. This case study seeks to understand how different South Sudanese tribes in Maaji II settlement in Northern Uganda relate to each other, and how these relations can be assessed using Johan Galtung’s theory of positive and negative peace. Using qualitative research methods, e.g. participant observation and interview data gathered in Maaji II settlement, this study seeks to understand the refugees' own definitions of tribe, tribalism, and peace, and to analyze their experiences in the settlement using Galtung’s concepts. The analysis showed that although positive developments had led to low levels of physical violence, tensions remained among the tribes, which were further exacerbated by communication barriers. Moreover, efforts by refugee leaders to promote peace focused on creating a peaceful and non-violent present and future, and no attention was paid to healing past violence. Nevertheless, deliberate actions and natural developments had led to increasing interactions among different tribes. The refugees’ own definitions of peace resembled Galtung’s concept of positive peace. Furthermore, the refugees all agreed that the settlement was peaceful, in spite of the analysis finding that the settlement can at best be explained as being in a state of negative peace. Thus, the intertribal relations in Maaji II settlement are largely free from direct physical violence, but the presence of cultural violence remains a hindrance for sustainable positive peace. These findings show that there is a need for a deeper understanding of intertribal relations among refugee populations in order to create more effective peacebuilding interventions.