By Sabri Dibaco<\/b><\/p>\n
The African Union (AU) has reaffirmed its support for inter-party dialogue and South Sudan\u2019s 2026 elections.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n On Thursday, President Salva Kiir Mayardit and a visiting AU delegation headed by Jakaya Kikwete, AU High Representative for the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea, held discussions in\u00a0 Juba.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n According to a statement issued by the Presidential Press Unit (PPU), the meeting focused on advancing peace, stability, and democratic governance as the country prepares for elections\u00a0 scheduled for December 2026.<\/span><\/p>\n In the statement, the AU reiterated its commitment to supporting South Sudan\u2019s transition and electoral roadmap.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThe African Union has expressed strong support for South Sudan\u2019s path toward the December 2026 elections, ongoing inter-party dialogue,\u201d the statement partly read.<\/span><\/p>\n The AU through the delegation also expressed support for the country\u2019s judicial processes, emphasizing the importance of legal reforms in strengthening democratic institutions.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThe meeting highlighted growing alignment between South Sudan and the African Union on key political, legal, and transitional priorities as the country advances toward elections.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The upcoming polls are widely viewed as a critical milestone for consolidating peace and strengthening democratic institutions,\u201d the statement added.<\/span><\/p>\n Addressing the media after the meeting, Kikwete described his visit as an important step in engaging directly with stakeholders across the country.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n He said the consultations would help shape the AU\u2019s approach in supporting South Sudan\u2019s transition.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThis is the first time I am talking to all the stakeholders, getting briefings about the situation in the country, getting advice on the specific issues and needs,\u201d he told the media.<\/span><\/p>\n According to the Office of the President, the discussions underscored the importance of sustained inter\ufffeparty dialogue as a central pillar for consensus-building and ensuring a peaceful electoral environment.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The AU delegation stressed that inclusive political engagement remains essential in preventing tensions and fostering trust among competing political actors ahead of the polls.<\/span><\/p>\n The statement further noted that the AU welcomed South Sudan\u2019s decision to amend provisions of the peace agreement in line with established legal frameworks.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThe African Union also expressed support for South Sudan\u2019s decision to amend provisions of the Revitalized Agreement in accordance with Article 8.4 of the R-ARCSS, recognizing it as a legitimate process within the framework of the agreement,\u201d the statement partly read.<\/span><\/p>\n The Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCSS) forms the cornerstone of South Sudan\u2019s ongoing transition, outlining key steps toward peace, governance reforms, and democratic elections following years of conflict.<\/span><\/p>\n Kikwete noted that the current engagement builds on previous regional and international efforts, \u00a0 including the C5 and Pretoria meetings, which he said have contributed to a more unified approach in supporting South Sudan\u2019s transition.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThe outcomes of these engagements will be presented to the African Union as we work together with the Government of South Sudan to support the transition,\u201d Kikwete emphasized.<\/span><\/p>\n He reaffirmed the AU\u2019s commitment to supporting the country in achieving lasting peace, security, and stability, alongside the successful conduct of elections in December 2026.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The envoy also made it clear that the transitional timeline would not be extended.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThere will be no extension,\u201d he said.<\/span><\/p>\n On his part, President Salva Kiir reiterated his government\u2019s commitment to maintaining peace and stability, as well as ensuring that the country remains on course toward the planned elections.<\/span><\/p>\n The AU\u2019s renewed backing comes at a critical time for South Sudan, as the country works to implement key provisions of the peace agreement, including security arrangements, institutional reforms, and preparations for credible elections.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The December 2026 polls are expected to mark the first national elections since independence and are widely regarded as a defining moment in the country\u2019s political transition.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" By Sabri Dibaco The African Union (AU) has reaffirmed its support for inter-party dialogue and South Sudan\u2019s 2026 elections.\u00a0 On Thursday, President Salva Kiir Mayardit and a visiting AU delegation headed by Jakaya Kikwete, AU High Representative for the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea, held discussions in\u00a0 Juba.\u00a0[Read More…]<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":43849,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[80,79,4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-43848","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-national","category-news","category-politics"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Jakaya-Kikwete-AU-High-Representative-for-the-Horn-of-Africa-and-the-Red-SeaR-Shake-hands-with-R-Salva-Kiir-Mayardit-during-a-meeting-.png","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43848","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=43848"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43848\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":43850,"href":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43848\/revisions\/43850"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/43849"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=43848"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=43848"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=43848"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}