Violent Conflict and Youth Live Hoods Security in Bor Town, Jonglei State, South Sudan
              
              
                Abstract:The overall objective of this study was to establish the effects of violent conflict on the youths’ livelihoods security in Bor town. The specific objectives were to: identify conflict drivers among the youth; assess conflict effects relative to youth productive activities; and establish the link between conflicts and economic exclusion of the youth in Bor. The research method applied was descriptive survey, and mixed method approach. The target population was 262 youth however: only 187 responded to the survey. Data from questionnaires was analysed using descriptive statistics and presented in frequencies and percentages using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS version) as well as narrative for qualitative data. From the first objective the study found out that violent conflict in Bor is caused by; favouritism, marginalisation, political supremacy, foreign interference, fighting  militias,  economic  hardships,  tribalism,  power  struggle    and  lack  of  good  management  of resources.  The  second objective  found out  that 89%  of  the respondents  cited  that  internal  conflicts have affected the state while 11% did not. Looking at ways in which the state has been affected, 52.7%stated foreign interference contributed to internal conflicts, 47.4% militias were a cause of internal conflict and 41.1% felt tribalism was a cause of internal conflicts. 67% of the respondents noted that the  youth  were  involved  in  positive  inclination  towards  violent  conflict  whereas  33%  were  not involved. More so 69% of the respondents noted that most of the youth in Bor were very highly involved in violent conflict, 20% were highly involved whereas 8% were very lowly involved. Majority of the respondents, 85% noted that the government never helped in eradicating acts of violent conflict in Bor whereas  15%  felt  that  the  government  helped  in  eradicating acts  of  violent  conflict. In  finding  out further how the government helped, 16% stated it offered youth education 84 negated it, 8% stated it had offered positive youth development whereas 92% denied it and 3% it funded youth projects while 97%  said  the  reverse  2%  felt  it  offered  appropriate  advice  and  98%  said  no  support  to  the  youth. Therefore; violent conflict in Jonglei state is closely linked to the prevailing security vacuum in rural area and the quest for cattle raids and child abduction. The study recommends that the government of South  Sudan  and  the  peace  agreement  signatories  in  line  with  their  existing  commitments,  should support the inclusion of a people-centred goals on peace, governance and justice in a development framework.  The  proposed  targets  aimed  at  addressing  drivers  of  violence,  conflict  and  insecurity should be consolidated and improved through consultation with civil society. Lastly, there should be increased  accountability  of  regional  multilateral  institutions  and  national  government through transparent systems, which measure and monitor forms of violence and conflict, rule of law and access to justice, governance and security provision using harmonized indicators.
Key words:Violent conflict, youth, resources