By Lodu William Odiya
The South Sudan Opposition Alliance (SSOA) has rejected the amendment, describing it as a unilateral amendment to the Revitalised Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCSS) and related laws.
In a press statement dated 20 September 2026, the SSOA said the amendments were being pursued without the full participation of the parties that signed the 2018 peace agreement, warning that such actions undermine the peace process.
The opposition alliance referred to an Expanded Meeting of the Presidency held on 10 December 2025, which it said considered proposals to amend provisions of the agreement and the Transitional Constitution of the Republic of South Sudan.
According to the SSOA, the meeting agreed in principle to the proposed changes but recognised that implementing the decision would require amendments to relevant provisions of the R-ARCSS and the Transitional Constitution.
The alliance said the Expanded Meeting subsequently issued a communiqué directing the establishment of a committee to initiate amendments to the R-ARCSS and present them to the leadership of the parties to the agreement.
However, the SSOA said that process has not been followed.
The statement also referenced Presidential Order No. 01/2026, issued on 10 January 2026, which established a leadership body tasked with conducting dialogue on electoral-related issues.
The SSOA argued that the body had not met and that the proposed amendments appeared to proceed without the required consultation.
“The manner in which these amendments have been undertaken is inconsistent with the process agreed upon by the Expanded Meeting of the Presidency,” the SSOA said.
The alliance further argued that the amendments should not be pursued solely through instruments or legal procedures without consultation and dialogue among the parties to the R-ARCSS.
It called for a common understanding and consensus among the signatories before any amendments affecting the peace agreement and the country’s electoral and constitutional framework are implemented.
The opposition alliance said the R-ARCSS is a political agreement among its signatories and that its implementation, amendment, and interpretation should be approached in accordance with provisions agreed upon by the parties.
It warned that actions taken outside the established framework could undermine the mechanisms created under the peace agreement.
The SSOA also stated that amendments affecting the R-ARCSS and the legal framework governing elections should be undertaken with the participation of all signatories to the agreement.
The statement carries signatures from representatives of several SSOA-affiliated political parties.
The listed SSOA leadership includes Josephine Lagu Yanga, Chairperson; Dr. Costello Garang Ring, Deputy Chairperson; Dr. Lam Akol Ajawin, Secretary General; Hon. Julius Tabuley Daniel, Deputy Secretary General; Hon. Moses Isaac Lajecio, Information, Secretary and Spokesperson; Hon. Cirillo Thon Riiny, Secretary for External Relations; and Hon. Tut Jok Luak, Member.
The document seen by the Kapital Press lists the participating parties as including the FDP, NAS, NDM, PDM, SSNMC, SPM, SLM, SSUM, and UDRA.
The statement places the disagreement within the broader debate over how changes to South Sudan’s peace agreement, constitution, and electoral laws should be made ahead of the country’s planned political transition.
The SSOA’s position is that any such changes should follow the consultation and consensus mechanisms agreed upon by the parties to the R-ARCSS rather than being pursued unilaterally.