Security Implications of Using the Military in Maintaining Peace through Internal Security Operations, a Case of Central Equatoria State—Juba

Abstract

The research studies security implications for military personnel maintaining peace through internal security operations in Central Equatoria State (CES), Juba, South Sudan. The overarching objective of the study is to examine the continued rising insecurity despite the deployment of Military personnel and other Law enforcement agencies to suppress internal security operations in CES. The research assesses the type of threats that compelled the deployment of the military to control internal security operations in CES; explores civilians’ experiences and interactions with the military personnel, executing internal security operations and their propensity to influence insecurity; and establishes the impact of using military combat orientations to suppress violence and quell armed groups in CES. The research utilizes mixed research methodology, such as qualitative and quantitative data. The study also reviewed the literature and included the Separation Theory by Huntington. The study reveals significant threats, as explained by empirical statistics outcomes from the key indicators such as unabated inter-ethnic conflicts fueled by warlords (13%), incapacity of the police (73%), presence of militias and violence meant to undermine government (9%), political conflicts (8%), and generals who were not well compensated (6%), and illegitimate military (26%). These empirical data signify that civilian experience life threats with the military personnel executing internal security operations. The life threat includes human rights abuses such as; deaths, rape cases, gunshot injuries, burning down houses and corporal punishments. Finally, the research provides recommendations .