On April 23, 2026, a delegation from the African Union Peace and Security Council arrived in Juba. The council, chaired this month by Ethiopia, sent a mission led by Ambassador Hirut Zemene, Ethiopia’s representative to the African Union in Addis Ababa, to assess the political and security situation in South Sudan.
This marked the African Union’s second mission to Juba since the crisis began in Nasir and since First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar was unlawfully placed under house arrest. During the visit, the delegation met Vice President Nyandeng Garang de Mabior and other stakeholders, including the Reconstituted Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission, the Troika, and the United Nations. The delegation later returned to Addis Ababa to convene further discussions and is expected to issue a communique.
While the African Union’s engagement is commendable, action must follow words. On February 15, 2026, the African Union High Level Ad Hoc Committee on South Sudan issued a communique during a summit in Addis Ababa urging the government in Juba to respect the ceasefire, release political detainees including the First Vice President, and return to the Revitalised Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan through inclusive dialogue. However, these recommendations were disregarded.
On April 24, 2026, the parliament’s House Business Committee tabled unilateral amendments to the Revitalised Peace Agreement and advanced them for deliberation. The Reconstituted Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission, the agreement’s oversight body, was sidelined despite pressure from regional leaders to resume dialogue. Meanwhile, the United States, Canada, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the European Union issued statements expressing concern over the unilateral amendments, particularly in the absence of Dr. Machar, the First Vice President and leader of the second largest party in the country. These statements, however, risk being ignored by the SPLM IG, which appears intent on reinterpreting the agreement on its own terms.
As the United Nations Security Council prepares to meet in New York in the coming days to discuss South Sudan and renew the mandate of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan, the urgency of the situation cannot be overstated. The time has come for renewed international engagement to encourage South Sudan’s leaders to prioritize peace over conflict and stabilize the country ahead of elections.
For this reason, I urge President Donald Trump to appoint a special envoy to South Sudan to help revive the stalled Revitalised Agreement. Such an envoy could facilitate inclusive dialogue among the parties, led jointly by President Salva Kiir and First Vice President Machar, to resolve the current crisis.
The United States has historically played a pivotal role in South Sudan. It supported the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement during its struggle against the National Islamic Front in Khartoum, contributing to the country’s eventual independence. Notably, when President George W. Bush appointed a special envoy to Sudan, it helped pave the way for the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, which was signed in Nairobi and brought an end to the war.
The current unilateral amendments to the agreement, undertaken without the participation of opposition parties, particularly the SPLM IO under Dr. Machar’s leadership, risk undermining the legitimacy of the Revitalised Transitional Government of National Unity. The way forward lies not in unilateral actions but in inclusive dialogue.
Respecting the ceasefire, releasing the First Vice President and all political detainees, and recommitting to an inclusive political process are essential steps toward resolving the crisis. Only through genuine dialogue and full implementation of the peace agreement can South Sudan move toward credible elections and break free from its prolonged transitional cycle. Unilateral actions will only deepen divisions and further undermine peace and stability in the country.
The writer, Dut Majokdit Nyikok, is a member of the SPLM IO Political Bureau and a 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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