The United States has said South Sudan’s peace process cannot move forward credibly without the participation of First Vice President Riek Machar, warning that genuine dialogue is impossible while the opposition leader remains under house arrest and faces trial.
Speaking on behalf of the United States and its Troika partners, Norway and the United Kingdom, U.S. Ambassador Michael J. Adler told the Reconstituted Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (RJMEC) that peace remains the international community’s foremost priority in South Sudan.
He said achieving lasting peace requires a return to meaningful dialogue among all parties that signed the 2018 Revitalised Peace Agreement.
“It is farcical to say that interparty dialogue is occurring when First Vice President Machar, the head of the second largest party to the 2018 peace agreement, is under house arrest and on trial,” Adler said.
His remarks come amid growing concern over the future of South Sudan’s fragile peace process following months of heightened political tensions between the parties to the agreement.
The peace deal, signed in 2018, ended a five-year civil war and established a power-sharing transitional government bringing together President Salva Kiir, Machar and other political groups.
Although the agreement has faced repeated delays in implementation, it remains the country’s main political framework for completing the transition to democratic elections.
Adler acknowledged that the peace agreement is far from perfect and said its shortcomings have been repeatedly exposed since it was signed.
He also pointed to what he described as a lack of political will among the signatories to fully implement key provisions of the accord.
Despite those challenges, he said the agreement continues to provide the legal and political foundation for the Transitional Government of National Unity.
“The agreement remains the basis for the legitimacy of the transitional government,” Adler said.
He stressed that any amendments to the peace agreement should be negotiated collectively rather than imposed by one party.
“Any changes must be made through dialogue involving all parties to the agreement,” he said.
Adler added that dialogue cannot be considered genuine if one of the principal signatories is excluded from the process.
“As we have noted, dialogue cannot be said to be authentically taking place without inclusion of all parties to the agreement, including Riek Machar,” he said.
The United States, Norway and the United Kingdom collectively known as the Troika have consistently backed the implementation of the 2018 peace agreement and have repeatedly urged South Sudan’s leaders to resolve political disputes through dialogue instead of confrontation.
The three countries have also called on the parties to honour their commitments under the peace deal, including completing key reforms, implementing security arrangements and creating conditions for peaceful and credible elections.
Adler’s statement adds to growing international pressure on South Sudan’s leaders to preserve the peace agreement at a time when concerns are mounting over the country’s political stability and the future of its transitional process.
