Legal and Political Strategies for Revenge Murders Mitigation in South Sudan: Insights from Unity State

The primary objective of this doctoral thesis is to employ methods and strategies grounded in deterrence theory with the aim of eradicating instances of revenge murder in South Sudan. The
research study utilized a mixed-methods design, incorporating interviews and questionnaires as the principal techniques for data collection. Participants in the study were relatives of both
perpetrators and victims of revenge murder, as well as traditional leaders, civil society, and local authorities. This study presents empirical evidence to substantiate the notion that the adoption of
diverse strategies, such as longer periods of imprisonment for individuals involved in acts of retaliatory homicide, expedited apprehension of perpetrators, the establishment of supplementary
correctional facilities, and the imposition of appropriate and proportional penalties, play a pivotal role in the eradication of revenge killings. Critical analyses, including regression analysis,
reliability tests, and chi-square tests, were performed for quantitative data, whereas thematic analysis was utilized for qualitative data. Furthermore, this study is significant because it has the
potential to make valuable contributions to criminal justice reform, provide insights for policy frameworks and law enforcement, augment social awareness on a national scale, aid in conflict resolution and peacebuilding endeavors, and broaden the existing knowledge base by formulating a theory of peace ritualization based on primary evidence.