The African Union’s Peace and Security Council said it would assess findings from the field visit to South Sudan and issue a communique after holding meetings with government officials, civil society and international partners, the head of the delegation said on Friday.
Ambassador Hirut Zemene Kassa, Ethiopia’s permanent representative to the African Union and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, led the council delegation during its three-day visit that began on Thursday.
Ethiopia holds the council’s rotating presidency for April, with Hirut presiding over its meetings and guiding its agenda.
Speaking in Juba on Friday, Hirut said the visit, conducted on April 23 and 24, aimed to assess the situation on the ground and support efforts to advance South Sudan’s peace process.
“We are here to evaluate the situation and see what the African Union can do to support the process,” she said, adding that the delegation held consultations with senior government officials, including Vice Presidents Rebecca Nyandeng de Mabior and Hussein Abdelbagi, as well as Foreign Minister Monday Semaya.
The delegation also met cabinet representatives from the Transitional Government of National Unity, civil society groups and international partners supporting the peace process, including the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) and the Reconstituted Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (RJMEC).
Hirut said there was strong interest among South Sudanese in holding democratic elections, but stressed the need to create conditions for a credible vote to bring the prolonged transition to an end.
She said the council would review its findings and release a communique outlining its position and recommendations.
“The African Union remains committed to standing with South Sudan and supporting the process,” she said.
The visit comes amid increasing international pressure on South Sudan’s leaders to resume inclusive dialogue, release political detainees and prepare for elections.
South Sudan’s security situation remains fragile despite a 2018 peace deal signed by President Salva Kiir and his rival Riek Machar. Machar was placed under house arrest in March 2025 and suspended as first vice president, worsening tensions within the unity government.
The peace agreement and transitional arrangements have been undermined by continued violence, ceasefire violations and political disputes between the two leaders.
The country’s first general elections have been repeatedly delayed due to a lack of conditions for credible polls, logistical challenges and political disputes, with authorities now targeting December 2026.
The council’s visit is the latest in a series of efforts to press South Sudan’s leaders to advance the peace process and complete the transition through elections.
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