oluwatosin oyeniyi TSHWANE, South Africa — South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has urged South Sudanese President Salva Kiir Mayardit to fully implement the country’s 2018 peace agreement as South Sudan prepares for general elections scheduled for December 22.
Ramaphosa met Kiir in Tshwane on Wednesday during the South Sudanese president’s working visit to South Africa. Their discussions focused on the implementation of the Revitalised Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCSS), political dialogue and preparations for the elections.
The meeting came days after Ramaphosa chaired an African Union High-Level Ad Hoc Committee on South Sudan, known as the C5, which assessed the country’s readiness for the elections and identified areas requiring urgent political and technical attention.
Elections Under Regional Scrutiny
The December vote is intended to mark the end of South Sudan’s prolonged transitional period, but regional institutions continue to flag significant challenges that must be addressed before polling.
At a C5 Plus summit on September 29, African leaders reaffirmed the December 22 election date while calling on South Sudan to resolve outstanding political, legal, technical, financial, operational and security requirements.
The African Union also called for a feasible and time-bound electoral roadmap and urged the government to provide adequate resources to key institutions, including the National Elections Commission and Political Parties Council.
The AU has further encouraged wider political participation, including the involvement of women and young people, while calling for continued engagement with opposition groups that remain outside the current political dialogue.
Peace Agreement Remains Central
For Ramaphosa, preparations for the elections cannot be separated from implementation of the 2018 peace agreement, which brought together President Kiir and former opposition leader Riek Machar in a power-sharing arrangement intended to end years of civil war.
The agreement remains the principal framework for South Sudan’s political transition. However, implementation has been uneven, while renewed fighting and political tensions have continued to raise concerns about the durability of the peace process.
The AU’s September declaration noted progress in reducing large-scale conflict under the permanent ceasefire but also expressed concern over renewed hostilities and reported ceasefire violations.
Ramaphosa therefore stressed that an inclusive electoral process built on trust and cooperation among South Sudanese stakeholders would be essential to creating the conditions needed to implement the peace agreement effectively.
South Africa Offers Electoral Support
The talks also opened the way for greater South African assistance to South Sudan’s electoral preparations.
According to the South African presidency, the meeting reaffirmed the importance of regional cooperation, including electoral capacity support from members of the C5.
South Sudan’s presidency said discussions would include technical and logistical support, with South Africa expected to assist with election-related preparations and materials.
The support reflects a wider African effort to help South Sudan build the institutional capacity needed for the elections rather than treating polling day as an isolated event.
A Narrowing Window for Preparation
With the election date less than three months away, the timetable leaves limited room to resolve outstanding questions.
The AU has already deployed a pre-election assessment mission to examine the political, legal, technical, operational, financial and security conditions surrounding the vote. The C5 has called for the mission’s recommendations to be acted upon urgently.
Political dialogue has also begun. The inter-party dialogue on election-related matters started on September 24, with regional leaders describing it as an important step towards resolving outstanding electoral issues and building broader consensus.
However, the AU has stressed the importance of bringing stakeholders currently outside the dialogue into the process.
Regional Pressure for an Inclusive Vote
Ramaphosa’s engagement with Kiir forms part of a broader regional effort involving the AU, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) and the C5 countries.
The C5 comprises South Africa, Algeria, Chad, Nigeria and Rwanda. The group has been tasked with supporting South Sudan’s peace process and helping create conditions for a credible political transition.
The regional approach reflects concern that an election held without sufficient political consensus could deepen existing divisions rather than consolidate the peace process.
The AU has also called for political detainees to be considered for release, including Riek Machar, as part of efforts to promote national cohesion and reconciliation.
What Happens Next
For South Sudan, the immediate challenge is to translate regional commitments into practical preparations before December 22.
That includes strengthening electoral institutions, resolving outstanding political disagreements, improving security conditions, ensuring adequate funding and logistics, and widening political participation.
For South Africa and the AU, the coming weeks will test whether regional diplomatic engagement can help South Sudan move from a fragile transitional arrangement towards a political process that commands broader participation.
Ramaphosa’s meeting with Kiir therefore places renewed emphasis on a central principle of South Sudan’s transition: the elections and the peace agreement must advance together if the country is to consolidate the relative stability achieved since the 2018 accord.
