This article critiques the persistent failure of liberal peacebuilding models in South Sudan and proposes a novel theoretical framework centred on relational governance. It argues that conventional approaches, which prioritise state institutions and elite bargains, fundamentally misread the social and political logics of South Sudanese society. Drawing on African political thought and critical peace studies, the framework foregrounds the primacy of kinship networks, moral economies, and negotiated authority as the foundational substrates for any sustainable political order. The article delineates the core components of this framework and explores its theoretical implications for African peace studies, before outlining its practical utility for mediating local conflicts and reimagining national dialogue processes in South Sudan.