South African Deputy President Paul Mashatile concluded a two-day working visit to South Sudan on Thursday, meeting with the country’s leadership to assess the progress of its fragile 2018 peace agreement.
The talks in the capital, Juba, focused on the implementation of the 2018 Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCSS), a pact designed to end a civil war that has plagued the world’s youngest nation.
Mashatile met with South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir Mayardit and Vice President Benjamin Bol Mel, along with other signatory parties to the agreement.
In a statement released by his office, all parties expressed a commitment to avoid escalating political tensions that could lead to renewed insecurity. They reaffirmed the 2018 agreement as the primary framework for securing a peaceful and stable future.
The implementation of the 2018 peace agreement faces challenges, complicated by the legal and political status of key partner Riek Machar.
Machar was arrested in March, later suspended from his position as First Vice President, and is now facing proceedings in a special court in Juba. He is accused of having a role in violence that occurred in Nasir in March 2025.
The statement also emphasized the need for cooperation to create conditions for credible elections, which are scheduled for December 2026.
During his visit, Mashatile also paid a courtesy call to Rebecca Nyandeng de Mabior, a vice president and widow of South Sudan’s founding father, John Garang. Nyandeng, a respected figure often referred to as the “Mother of the Nation,” urged South Africa to remain engaged in the peace process.
Mashatile underscored the importance of strengthening political and economic ties between South Africa and South Sudan, according to the statement.