·       Your Excellency Ambassador Hassan Robleh, Ambassador of the Republic of Djibouti and Chair of the IGAD Ambassadors to the Republic of South Sudan

·       Your Excellency Anita Kiki Gbeho, Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the UNMISS

·       Your Excellency Ambassador Abdiweli Mohamed Ali Gaas, Special Representative of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission and Head of AUMISS

·       Your Excellency Ambassador Mousa Djama Ali, the IGAD Special Envoy to the Republic of South Sudan

·       Your Excellency Lothar Laschkle, Representative of the European Union Delegation to the Republic of South Sudan

·        Distinguished Guests,

·        Ladies and Gentlemen,

Good morning!

1.   I wish to thank H.E. Ambassador Mousa Djama Ali, the IGAD Special Envoy to the Republic of South Sudan, for inviting RJMEC to deliver remarks in this important Workshop. This workshop, entitled “Enhancing the Role of South Sudanese Stakeholders in the Implementation of the Revitalized Peace Agreement”, comes at an apt and consequential time given the lessons learned in the implementation of the R-ARCSS over the last more than eight years.

2.   I take note of the critical aims of the workshop, such as enhancing stakeholders' understanding of the peace agreement’s implementation status and upskilling of their capacities in mediation, negotiation, and conflict resolution to enable them to constructively influence the peace process.

3.   The theme for the workshop is also quite fitting because of RJMEC’s strong belief that the R-ARCSS is a South Sudanese peace agreement and its full implementation is highly dependent on how the South Sudanese citizens and stakeholders engage in the implementation process and hold the Parties to the Agreement accountable.

4.   The workshop also comes at a timely moment as it provides an opportunity to reflect on the past several months of implementation, and the outcomes can serve as a firm reminder to all of us of the need to robustly comply, in letter and spirit, with the provisions of the Revitalized Agreement, which is the cornerstone of the peace process and provide caution against conduct that contravenes it.

5.   I therefore commend the IGAD Secretariat for organising this workshop to remind the South Sudanese citizens of their responsibility and enhance their capacity to participate and promote the R-ARCSS implementation going forward. I wish to thank the European Union for supporting this particular action, and more generally for its steadfast support for the South Sudan peace process and the implementation of the R-ARCSS.

Excellencies, Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen

6.   As the oversight body, RJMEC would like to highlight the current status of the implementation of the Revitalized Peace Agreement and the prospect for elections at the end of the Transitional Period as scheduled.

7.   As you may all be aware, elections are scheduled for December 2026, and the Transitional Period comes to an end in February 2027. Since its signing in September 2018, significant progress has been made in the implementation of the R-ARCSS and South Sudan has enjoyed its longest period of relative peace since attaining independence in July 2011, challenges notwithstanding.

8.   There is visible social, economic and infrastructural transformation in the country today and a real prospect for lasting peace and stability is within reach. However, some recent developments, especially following the Nasir incident of March 2025, have derailed progress and threatened to reverse some of the tangible gains of the R-ARCSS implementation over the years.

9.   Today, South Sudan finds itself at a crossroads, with implementation largely struggling due to the political and insecurity situation in the country. With elections barely five months away, several critical election-related tasks of the Agreement are pending. These tasks include unresolved legal and political issues such as incomplete Transitional Security Arrangements, inadequate funding, population displacement, insecurity in various parts of the country, and uncertainty surrounding the inclusivity of the political process.

10.    In order to address the political and security challenges facing the country, the AU C5 Plus Heads of State and Government issued a Declaration and guidance on the way forward, including the need for an all-inclusive dialogue, involving the Parties to the R-ARCSS as well as non-signatory parties to enable them to reach consensus on the democratic end of the transitional period. 

11.    Pursuant to the region’s urgent call for resolving the impasse, RJMEC welcomes the regional and international efforts in support of the South Sudan peace process, including by the recently appointed AU High Representative to the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea, H.E. Jakaya Kikwete, former President of the United Democratic Republic of Tanzania.  

12.    RJMEC also takes note of the RTGoNU’s plan to conduct inter-party dialogue and urges that this dialogue track should be complementary to the AU-led efforts.

Excellencies, Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen,

13.    As RJMEC, we continue to exercise our oversight mandate, remind the Parties of the commitments under the R-ARCSS in letter and spirit, engage with all South Sudanese stakeholders, regional guarantors and International Partners and Friends of South Sudan in pursuit of full adherence and faithful implementation of the R-ARCSS to achieve a peaceful and democratic end to the Transitional Period.

14.    Overall, there is no doubt that the conduct of elections through which citizens, through a free, fair and credible process, elect their leaders, is a noble goal and one that we all aspire to. Equally important is the making of a people-made, people-centered and people-owned constitution that will guarantee lasting peace, stability and good governance. Both goals are enshrined in the R-ARCSS, and it is incumbent upon the South Sudanese stakeholders represented here to understand and reflect on pathways to achieve these goals.

15.       The RJMEC, IGAD, AUMISS, UN, EU and all partners and friends of South Sudan will continue to stand in solidarity with you, in different ways, including through these kinds of interventions which seek to enhance your capacities in mediation, negotiation, and conflict resolution to enable you to constructively influence the peace process.

16.       I wish you fruitful deliberations. I Thank You