South Sudan’s civil society has welcomed the outcome of the AU C5 Plus meeting, describing it as a decisive step toward restoring peace and advancing the country’s stalled transition, while urging leaders to move swiftly from commitments to concrete action.
Speaking after the meeting, Edmund Yakani, Executive Director of CEPO, praised the leadership of regional heads of state who participated in the summit, including South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, South Sudanese President Salva Kiir, and Kenyan President William Ruto.
Yakani said the AUC5 Plus deliberations produced outcomes that aligned with civil society’s long-standing demands, particularly the call for an immediate ceasefire and de-escalation of military confrontations across the country.
“The outcome of the meeting was impressive. It responded to our expectations and met our objectives,” Yakani said, noting that the roadmap pillars reflected what citizens want to see implemented on the ground.
He highlighted key decisions reached at the meeting, including the immediate launch of an inclusive political dialogue involving both signatories and non-signatories to the peace process, the release of political detainees—including suspended First Vice President Riek Machar—and agreement on minimum standards for the conduct of elections scheduled for December 2026.
Yakani said the roadmap also emphasised reconciliation and forgiveness, stressing the need to create conditions for credible, peaceful, and democratic elections.
Describing the roadmap as “convincing,” he called on the African Union both at Commission level and within the AU C5 to sustain their engagement and ensure that commitments made on paper are translated into concrete action.
“We have seen in the past the African Union push hard for agreements, but later relax when it comes to implementation. This time, we demand full commitment to the outcome of the AUC5 Plus meeting,” Yakani said.
He announced that civil society will establish an African Union civil society tracker to monitor South Sudan’s transitional process.
The platform, he explained, will facilitate regular engagement with the AU and track implementation of the AUC5 Plus outcomes at both regional and national levels.
Yakani also urged President Kiir to demonstrate the same level of commitment shown during the negotiations when it comes to implementation, warning against individuals within government structures who may seek to delay or undermine agreed decisions.
“Those who attempt to jeopardise implementation should be held accountable,” he said.
Addressing South Sudanese citizens, Yakani called for active but non-violent civic engagement, urging the public to hold leaders accountable and support peaceful implementation of the roadmap.
“It is our civic responsibility to follow this process and ensure these outcomes are implemented in the best interest of South Sudan,” he said, adding that civil society will continue to disseminate information and monitor progress both at the African Union and government levels.
