Key South Sudanese stakeholders to the 2018 Revitalized Peace Agreement convened for a two-day meeting this week aimed at restarting dialogue to resolve the country’s ongoing political crisis, according to a communique released on Wednesday.
The meeting, held from September 9–10 in the capital, Juba, was facilitated by the Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO) and supported by the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS).
The gathering brought together signatories to the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan (R-ARCSS) from various non-governmental sectors. In the communique, participants committed to fostering an inclusive, South Sudanese-led political dialogue to overcome the current impasse hampering the peace process.
Signatories included Rt. Rev. Dr. James Ninrew Dong of the Eminent Personalities group; retired Bishop Enock Tombe Stephen of the South Sudan Council of Churches; Jaralnebi Khamis Marsul Jada of the South Sudan Islamic Council; and civil society representatives Alokiir Manlual Amer, Sarah Nyanath Elijah Yong and Edmund Yakani.
Other signatories were Maria Gideon Gakmar of the Women’s Bloc of South Sudan; Akouch Ajang Nyanhom of the South Sudan Civil Society Alliance; youth representative Patrick Godi; Yar Manoa Majok from the business community; and Prof. Pauline Riak from academia.
Speaking to Radio Tamazuj, CEPO Executive Director Edmund Yakani outlined the group’s objectives.
“This intervention is aimed at nurturing a South Sudanese-driven, inclusive political dialogue to address the current political stalemate the country is witnessing,” Yakani said. “CEPO is fully committed to working with fellow stakeholders to facilitate an inclusive and genuine political dialogue that renews the political commitment to transition the country from violence to peace.”
Yakani said the next step involves “bilateral dialogue or engagement with each political party signatory to R-ARCSS to lay the groundwork for inclusive political dialogue to mitigate the ongoing stalemate.”
He added that the group also plans “regional lobbying and advocacy with IGAD, the African Union and the United Nations to restore commitment to the genuine implementation of R-ARCSS.”
The 2018 peace agreement was intended to end a five-year civil war that killed nearly 400,000 people. Its implementation has faced repeated delays, missing key deadlines and heightening political tensions.
First Vice President and SPLA-IO leader Riek Machar, a key figure behind the peace deal, has been under house arrest in Juba since March.
President Salva Kiir has indicated a preference for working with a faction of the SPLM/A-IO led by Peacebuilding Minister Stephen Par Kuol to advance the stalled peace deal, a move that has further strained the already fragile coalition government formed to end the war.
General elections are scheduled for December 2025, but observers say key pre-election tasks remain significantly behind schedule. Critical deadlines for drafting a permanent constitution and unifying the country’s various armed factions into a single national army have been missed, with no clear roadmap in place to complete them before the vote.