By 
The President of South Africa H.E Cyril Ramaphosa expressed support for peace in South Sudan during his address at the African Union (AU) Ad-Hoc High-level Committee on South Sudan in Ethiopia.
Violence has plagued the country and efforts to bring about peace seem to be futile. In 2018, the committee met and signed the Revitalised Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan (R-ARCSS) with the intention to bring stability and peace in the country.
However, eight years later, South Sudan is still marked by violence ahead of its elections in December this year.
Ramaphosa said during the committee meeting that it is important for South Sudan to resolve its issues and find peace ahead of the elections, as its people want to live in a stable and peaceful environment.
“Allow me to acknowledge the critical role played by the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) since 2011. UNMISS has been supporting the peace process, preventing conflict, protecting civilians and facilitating humanitarian access. We thank the Secretary-General of the UN for his presence and look forward to his contribution.
Ethiopia, Kenya and Uganda are outside of the C5 but are heavily invested in the stability of South Sudan; and it is critical that we coordinate efforts.
This year is a pivotal one for South Sudan, with elections set for December 2026. We welcome
the government of South Sudan’s stated intention to hold elections and to convene a national dialogue to resolve outstanding issues before elections are held. The people of South Sudan yearn to live in a peaceful and prosperous country; and elections alone will not guarantee lasting peace,” said Ramaphosa.
He said firstly, a conducive political and security environment is vital. Violence and conflict at any stage will undermine confidence and derail the process. Secondly, the political processes such as the national dialogue and legal processes must be genuinely inclusive.
He said they must bring together all signatories and stakeholders to the Revitalisation Agreement so that decisions reflect broad ownership, credibility and legitimacy. Ramaphosa said the C5 Plus Summit must send a clear, unified message that calls on all stakeholders to enter into dialogue without delay.
“We wish to encourage measures that will build unity, including all options to facilitate reconciliation. The C5 supports the proposal that the Chairperson of the AU Commission should appoint a former Head of State to mediate amongst the signatory parties to the Revitalisation Agreement – and to facilitate dialogue between President Kiir and Dr Riek Machar.
We stand ready to support mediation, to monitor implementation and to coordinate our efforts.
A focused, oversight mechanism involving the C5 and IGAD would help track progress and report back to the Heads of State,” said President Cyril Ramaphosa.
