South Sudan : AU Calls For Resumption Of Dialogue

African Union (AU) Commission Chairperson, Mahmoud Youssouf has called on political stakeholders in South Sudan to put back the Revitalized 2018 Peace Agreement on the rail by swiftly resuming dialogue. The Chairperson was speaking during a two-day (May 5-6) visit to the South Sudanese capital Juba. Accompanied by Mohamed Abdi Ware, Deputy Executive Secretary of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), Mr Youssouf after holding talks with President Salva Kiir, emphasized the need for both parties to resume talks. “As guarantor of the revitalize peace agreement, we believe it is crucial to determine how we can better support the government of South Sudan in accelerating the implementation of the peace deal, he said.  He added that, “the primary goal of the visit was to support South Sudan and find the best path forward for preserving peace and stability in the country”.
Though the AU and IGAD delegation didn’t meet detained first vice-President Dr. Riek Machar, they however expressed the readiness of their institutions to assist in the implementation of the Revitalized Peace Agreement including the mobilization of resources for the country. They also stressed on the importance of implementing security arrangements and establishing a permanent constitution making process to pave the way for elections in December 2026. 
The joint call from the AUC and IGAD delegation comes at a critical moment for South Sudan as the country grapples with heightened political tensions leading to the arrest and detention of key opposition figures and unprecedented pockets of insecurity across the country. For nearly two months now, Dr. Riek Machar, the cou...