
Report by: Al-Naeim Mubarak Kuol
To prepare for the 2026 elections in South Sudan, the African Union (AU) and United Nations (UN) missions have urged the parties in the country’s transitional unity government to prioritize completing the pending tasks of the 2018 revitalized peace agreement by 2025.
According to a joint statement issued on Monday by the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), the AU Mission in South Sudan, and the UN Mission in South Sudan, the government and the parties involved in the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan (R-ARCSS) made significant progress in 2024.
The missions stressed that 2025 will be a crucial year for implementing the remaining tasks of the peace agreement.
The statement read: “We acknowledge that there is currently calm in South Sudan…”
President Salva Kiir had requested his Kenyan counterpart, William Ruto, to mediate with groups opposing the 2018 peace agreement through the “Tumaini Initiative,” aiming to achieve lasting peace and stability in South Sudan.
The statement also urged the concerned parties to expand civic education and enhance the engagement of political parties, civil society, and the media.
It emphasized the importance of achieving clarity in 2025 and ensuring proper planning for the general elections in December 2026.