Since the end of the Cold War, liberal peacebuilding has become the dominant framework guiding international
interventions in post-conflict societies. The model emphasizes democratization, rule of law, institutional reform, and
market-oriented economic governance as foundations for sustainable peace. However, the implementation of liberal
peacebuilding has faced serious challenges in fragile states characterized by weak institutions, social fragmentation, and
political instability. This study examines the challenges of liberal peace and state-building in South Sudan between 2011
and 2023. The research adopts a mixed-methods approach using a convergent parallel design that integrates qualitative
and quantitative data. Primary data were collected from 212 participants through structured questionnaires, semi
structured interviews, and focus group discussions across Juba, Bor, and Wau. Quantitative data were analyzed using
descriptive statistics through SPSS, while qualitative data were examined using thematic analysis. The findings reveal that
the major obstacles to liberal peace implementation in South Sudan include weak state institutions, elite political
competition, external dependency, limited local ownership of peace processes, and persistent ethnic divisions. The study
argues that externally driven peacebuilding frameworks have often failed to align with local political realities and traditional
governance structures. As a result, state-building initiatives have struggled to establish legitimacy and trust among citizens.
The study concludes that sustainable peace in South Sudan requires a hybrid peacebuilding model that integrates liberal
democratic reforms with locally grounded institutions, inclusive governance mechanisms, and community-based conflict
resolution systems.
The hybrid peace building model is an integrated approach that combines internationally recognized principles of
democratic governance, rule of law, human rights, constitutionalism, and accountable state institutions with South Sudan’s
indigenous institutions, traditional leadership, customary justice, local reconciliation mechanisms, and community
participation.

Keywords:Liberal peace; state-building; peacebuilding; governance; post-conflict reconstruction; South Sudan;
institutional legitimacy; local ownership