On 17 June 2026, the African Union Envoy and former Tanzanian President H.E. Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete arrived in Juba. During his visit, he met with President Salva Kiir, stakeholders, Western Ambassadors, African Diplomatic representatives, R-JEMC, NEC, NCRC, and the Parties to the Peace Agreement, including the SPLM-IO led by suspended First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar. The consultation was to assess the current political situation and determine a way forward for South Sudan’s peace and reconciliation through dialogue before the general elections.
President Kiir continues calling for the elections without implementation of the key provisions in the peace agreement, and several political detainees, including Dr. Machar, remain under detention. However, the prerequisites for elections to take place are not met by the ITGONU in the first place. In my view, I believe that South Sudan is not ready for a sham election.
The SPLM-IG [Party] should not be afraid of political competition to the extent of keeping Dr. Machar and other political leaders under house arrest and detention. Peace is more important than a rushed or flawed electoral process in the Republic of South Sudan. Peace matters because it creates the conditions necessary for democratic competition. It is imperative to release Dr. Machar to contest elections with President Kiir.
There is no peaceful environment in South Sudan for parties to campaign openly to convince citizens at the grassroots level. The whole thing has been militarized by the SPLM Party to isolate political rivals and to maintain the unbearable status quo. The African Union initiative under the auspices of President Kikwete to bring the political parties together for an inclusive dialogue is the way forward. The national elections cannot be conducted in a climate of fear and political exclusion with an unresolved deadlock.
The SPLM Party is pushing the country toward sham elections due to fear. However, a legitimate government cannot emerge out of a sham election, but from a process that is regarded by the citizens as inclusive and not run by one party. The inter-party dialogue that was initiated and announced by Cabinet Affairs Minister Dr. Martin Elia on SSBC will not bear any fruit if it is not inclusive. Any political dialogue must be preceded by the unconditional release of First Vice President Dr. Machar and should take place in a neutral place in the region. You cannot be a referee and a player in football and expect a fair judgement at the end.
Who will be the mediator of the upcoming dialogue in Juba under the SPLM Party? To be honest, allies and friends do not dialogue. What do they want to discuss, and on what basis are they working in the fragile transitional unity government after Dr. Machar was unilaterally placed under house arrest? Let us be realistic and resolve the crisis. The AU-Led dialogue is the way forward, and any dialogue must be jointly led by President Kiir and First Vice President Dr. Machar, and must involve the signatories to the 2018 peace agreement, holdout groups, and other stakeholders.
Furthermore, the briefings delivered by President Kikwete to the African Union in Addis Ababa provide a clear direction for the way forward. Several critical benchmarks remain unmet, including the implementation of the security arrangements, the constitution-making process, electoral reforms, and the expansion of political space. These concerns were echoed by the United States Mission to the African Union in Addis Ababa following its meeting with President Jakaya Kikwete. They emphasized that elections in South Sudan should not proceed without peace and stability.
In a nutshell, no elections, no extension or amendment of the agreement without Dr. Machar, who is the head of the largest political party in South Sudan. The ball is in the court of the SPLM Party to release Dr. Machar or risk the illegitimacy of the government in the next few months. Peace must come before elections. The dark forces in our land must give peace and stability a chance.
The writer is a member of the SPLM-IO Political Bureau and former chairperson of the Relief and Rehabilitation Commission in Northern Bhar el Ghazel state. He can be reached via 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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