On April 23, 2026, a delegation from the African Union Peace and Security Council (AUPSC), led by Ethiopia’s representative to the African Union, Ambassador Hirut Zemene Kassa, arrived in Juba to assess the political situation in South Sudan. The delegation met with stakeholders and institutions responsible for implementing the peace agreement to better understand the situation and identify a way forward.
The AUPSC field mission to Juba was significant, particularly following the release of its communiqué on the political and security situation in the country. Published by Radio Tamazuj and on the African Union website, the communiqué addressed key concerns affecting South Sudan today.
Among the most important issues highlighted was the continued house arrest of First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar in Juba. The communiqué emphasized the need for coordination among the African Union, the United Nations, IGAD, and the Revitalized Transitional Government of National Unity (R TGoNU) to preserve the peace agreement by securing the release of Dr. Machar and returning all parties to inclusive dialogue.
The AUPSC also stressed that no amendments to the peace agreement should take place outside the agreed legal and political framework. Reconciliation between President Salva Kiir and Dr. Machar remains essential to resolving the current crisis. South Sudanese must accept this reality and avoid living in a world of illusions and assumptions.
Furthermore, the AUPSC requested the Reconstituted Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (R JMEC), in consultation with the R TGoNU and IGAD, to facilitate discussions within the Council of Ministers regarding the issue of elections.
Another key point in the communiqué called on political parties to embrace inclusive dialogue and mediation under the leadership of the AU Special Envoy to South Sudan, former Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete, with support from IGAD, the AU C5 Ad Hoc High Level Committee, and international partners. The aim is to reach an amicable political solution before elections are held.
The communiqué also urged all parties to adhere to the C5 Declaration adopted in Addis Ababa on Feb. 15, 2026.
Both the African Union and the U.N. Security Council have comprehensively addressed the political and security situation in South Sudan. The SPLM IG should recognize that the country belongs to all South Sudanese, and that it is the responsibility of leaders to reconcile and set aside political divisions, as recommended by the African Union.
Nowhere in the world can a peace agreement be signed, left unimplemented, and then followed by a return to conflict while leaders refuse to engage in an inclusive political process aimed at restoring unity and stability.
The AU and U.N. resolutions have addressed nearly every aspect of the ongoing crisis in South Sudan. National elections should not be the first priority in a volatile environment such as ours. The country must first resolve the current crisis before citizens can participate in free and fair elections.
The U.N. Security Council has already reduced quick impact projects, funding, and capacity building programs while renewing the U.N. mission’s mandate under Chapter VII, citing the unwillingness of the current leadership to return to inclusive political dialogue and release the first vice president.
IGAD and the African Union have spoken. The United States and the United Kingdom have spoken. R JMEC and the AU Special Envoy have spoken. The ball is now in the court of the SPLM IG: either continue unilateral actions or declare a ceasefire, release Dr. Riek Machar, and return to dialogue, or risk further undermining the legitimacy of the R TGoNU.
South Sudan stands at a crossroads. This is the time to return to the drawing board and make the right decisions for the future of the country. President Salva Kiir should release Dr. Riek Machar and lead the nation back toward peace, reconciliation, and stability.
The writer, Dut Majokdit, is a member of the SPLM IO Political Bureau and former chairperson of the Relief and Rehabilitation Commission in Northern Bahr el Ghazal State, Aweil. He can be reached at: Majokdit2024@gmail.com
The views expressed in ‘opinion’ articles published by Radio Tamazuj are solely those of the writer. The veracity of any claims made is the responsibility of the author, not Radio Tamazuj.
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