South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir, who also leads the ruling SPLM, on Wednesday convened a rare high-level meeting of political party leaders to shape the final phase of the country’s protracted transition and prepare for elections scheduled for 2026 under the Roadmap.
The newly appointed SPLM Secretary-General, Akol Paul Kordit, told reporters in Juba that the parties had agreed to amend several key provisions of the 2018 Revitalized Peace Agreement, which has struggled to advance beyond paper commitments.
He said the adjustments were aimed at removing remaining obstacles ahead of the planned polls, though he gave no details on which clauses would be changed or how extensive the amendments would be.
Akol said the party leaders also agreed to push several long-delayed tasks beyond the elections, including the permanent constitution-making process and the national population census. Both were originally expected to be completed before any vote.
He added that the parties agreed to form a political committee drawn from the signatories to address unresolved issues, and a legal committee chaired by the minister of justice to oversee legislative changes linked to the proposed amendments.
People familiar with the process described the meeting as an effort to revive the stalled peace deal and steer the country toward what they said could be a peaceful transition.
The meeting was attended by Vice Presidents James Wani Igga, Taban Deng Gai, Josephine Lagu and Rebecca Nyandeng, SPLM-IO faction leader Stephen Par Kuol, opposition figure Lam Akol, Cabinet Affairs Minister Martin Elia, senior presidential adviser Kuol Manyang and Livestock Minister Onyoti Adigo. Others present included Justice Minister Michael Makuei, Agriculture Minister Hussein Abdelbagi, Deng Alor and Humanitarian Affairs Minister Albino Akol Atak. Their attendance signalled an attempt to project broad political inclusion.
It remains unclear whether the main opposition faction loyal to suspended First Vice President Riek Machar — now facing trial — was invited or represented.
For his part, Agok Makur, the Secretary General of the SPLM-IO Interim Leadership, announced that a consensus was reached during the high-level meeting.
“The parties in this meeting have agreed to hold the elections on time, December 2026,” Makur stated. That date is the deadline set by the country’s revitalized peace agreement.
To address outstanding issues, Makur said the parties have agreed to form a multi-party committee. “They will look at all the relevant issues and to pass them on,” Makur explained.
A separate legal review committee, to be led by the Minister of Justice, will also be established. Its task will be to make legal and constitutional changes on which all parties can agree.
Makur described the meeting as “very clear and good,” calling it “one of the most important stages” of the political process in South Sudan.
“We want to assure [the people] that this meeting will proceed in the most important way,” he added, expressing confidence that the move would pave the way for a credible electoral process.
More than seven years after it was signed, the 2018 peace agreement remains stalled. The unification of rival forces, the drafting of a permanent constitution, the repatriation of displaced citizens, the national census and the legal framework for elections all remain incomplete.
Kiir and Machar, the two main principals in the agreement, continue to trade accusations over who is responsible for the delays.
Wednesday’s decision signals a shift toward revising parts of the agreement rather than implementing it as originally negotiated.
Edmund Yakani, a civil society leader who has advocated for the implementation of the peace deal, told Radio Tamazuj that parties meeting at the extended presidency level for the first time since the violence in March 2025 was a positive step, provided it remains within the spirit and letter of the agreement.
“The spirit and letter of the R-ARCSS is centered on the legitimacy of the rightful signatories,” he said.
Yakani said holding general elections in December 2026 without adhering to the core provisions of the 2018 agreement may face challenges, but noted that the decision appears driven by pressure from the public and international partners to proceed with the vote.
He also stressed the importance of securing the consent of all signatories to the peace agreement, saying broader buy-in was necessary for any amendments to be credible and for the political transition to hold.
“It is important to secure the consent of SPLM-IO under Dr. Riek Machar. Elections are essential to gain public legitimacy, but deferring the constitution-making until after the vote requires a political framework agreed by all parties to guide the formation of a new government,” Yakani said.
The peace deal has faced repeated delays, including missed timelines for elections, which have been pushed back several times and are now scheduled for December 2026.