This document examines the nexus between trade and conflict in South Sudan as a key instrument towards membership accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO). South Sudan’s past and recent development in national and bilateral trade governance and policies are analysed in this document with seven pathways to build peace and enhanced resilience through trade.

The outbreak of armed civil conflict in 2013 and 2016 has led to a deterioration of a deep economic crisis. The contraction of output, high inflation, loss of value of the national currency, depletion of currency reserves and increasing fiscal gaps continue to spike market volatility in South Sudan. The negative spillovers caused by the conflict have delayed integration in the East Africa Continent and WTO accession. This has also in turn made donor cooperation and partners in South Sudan redirect funds to humanitarian assistance and less on trade development coordination. Recommendations to close data gaps in trade, taxation, natural resources, oil, and mining reserves are found in this document and steps to gain technical capacity to have accession to the WTO for sustainable economic reform.  

Several findings in the document emphasize that equitable distribution of natural resources, upskilling of critical labour shortages, partnership with the private-sector and peace-orientated trade policy at the macro and micro level is paramount for economic diversification for peace development.