The chairperson of the African Union Commission, Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, has appointed former Tanzanian president Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete as the African Union’s High Representative for South Sudan, diplomatic sources told Radio Tamazuj.
Kikwete’s appointment on Tuesday is aimed at strengthening the AU’s high-level efforts to support a successful political transition and the restoration of peace and stability in South Sudan.
Diplomatic sources said Kikwete will follow up on resolutions of the AU C5 grouping, focusing on inclusive dialogue, general elections, and stability, while working to build trust among South Sudan’s leaders.
South Africa, alongside the African Union and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), acts as a guarantor of South Sudan’s peace agreement through the C5 grouping, which also includes Algeria, Chad, Nigeria and Rwanda.
The bloc was established by the AU Peace and Security Council in December 2014 and has repeatedly called for a cessation of hostilities, the release of opposition leader Dr. Riek Machar, and inclusive political dialogue.
The C5 has stepped up diplomatic engagement in recent months. Last month, a meeting in Addis Ababa, chaired by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on the sidelines of an African Union summit, called for inclusive dialogue, the release of detainees including Machar, elections in December 2026 and adherence to a ceasefire.
Machar, a key party to the 2018 peace agreement, has been under house arrest since March 2025 and faces treason charges in a special court in Juba.
In his new role, Kikwete is expected to maintain close contact with South Sudanese stakeholders and engage the country’s leaders to coordinate AU peace efforts.
Edmund Yakani, executive director of the Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO), welcomed the appointment and pledged cooperation.
“We appreciate and congratulate the Chairperson of the African Union for appointing former President Jakaya Kikwete as AU High Representative to South Sudan,” Yakani told Radio Tamazuj.
He said civil society groups had long called for the position—traditionally held by a former African head of state—to be filled to help steer the fragile peace process in South Sudan.
“We will be working closely with him to ensure that we pull our energy together to make sure peace and stability prevail in South Sudan,” he said.
Yakani, a renowned South Sudanese civil society leader, cited longstanding ties between Tanzania and South Sudan and noted that the role was previously held by former Malian President Alpha Oumar Konaré, with whom civil society had engaged during earlier phases of the transition.
He said Kikwete’s experience could help foster inclusive dialogue among South Sudan’s political leaders and reduce the risk of violence.
Kikwete, born in 1950, served as president of Tanzania from 2005 to 2015. He was previously foreign minister from 1995 to 2005 and a member of parliament over the same period. He also served as chairperson of the African Union in 2008–2009 and chaired the Southern African Development Community troika on peace, defence and security in 2012–2013.
He later served as the AU High Representative for Libya after being appointed in 2016 by former AU Commission chairperson Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma.
Kikwete has maintained close relations with South Sudan’s leadership, including opposition leader Dr. Riek Machar and President Salva Kiir Mayardit. Tanzania under his leadership supported political dialogue and stability in the country.
Tanzania’s ruling party, Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM), has longstanding ties with South Sudan’s ruling Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM).
In 2011, Tanzania was among the first African states to recognise South Sudan following its independence.