President Cyril Ramaphosa will on Tuesday convene a virtual meeting of the African Union High-Level Ad Hoc Committee on South Sudan, known as the C5, as regional leaders assess progress towards peace and the country’s planned elections in December.
Ramaphosa, who chairs the C5, will bring together representatives of the five-member committee and member states of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) to take stock of developments since the C5 Plus Summit held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on 15 February.
The meeting comes less than three months before South Sudan is scheduled to hold elections on 22 December 2026.
The C5 comprises South Africa, Algeria, Chad, Nigeria and Rwanda. The meeting will assess progress towards commitments arising from recent engagements and identify areas where additional regional and continental support may be required to advance peace, stability and the political transition.
The discussions will include the C5 Ministerial Visit to Juba in July, an April visit by the African Union Peace and Security Council, and August engagements by the AU High Representative for the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea, Dr Jakaya Kikwete, and the AU Technical Assessment Team.
The Presidency said the meeting would also follow up on the outcomes of the February C5 Plus Summit and assess developments in South Sudan ahead of the December elections.
The C5 has a mandate to support South Sudan’s political transition and oversee implementation of the Revitalised Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan.
Presidential spokesperson Vincent Magwenya has previously stressed that South Africa regards the conditions surrounding the elections as important, saying the country’s position was that the vote should be inclusive, transparent and fair.
“For South Africa it remains vital that the elections in South Sudan are inclusive, transparent and fair, and that the security environment is conducive to conducting free and fair elections,” Magwenya said in an earlier media briefing.
The comments underline the issues likely to remain central to the C5’s engagement as the December election date approaches.
The meeting follows a series of regional and continental interventions aimed at supporting the implementation of South Sudan’s peace agreement and political transition.
South Sudan has experienced a prolonged transitional process following years of conflict. The implementation of the peace agreement and preparations for elections have therefore remained key areas of engagement for the African Union and IGAD.
At the February C5 Plus Summit, Ramaphosa called for continued efforts towards peace and stability and emphasised the importance of an inclusive political process.
The latest meeting will give the C5 and IGAD an opportunity to assess whether commitments made during previous engagements have translated into progress on the ground.
It will also allow regional leaders to identify areas where additional support may be needed before the election.
The Presidency said Ramaphosa would continue leading efforts through the C5, in coordination with the AU, IGAD and other regional and international partners, to support an inclusive, peaceful and credible political process in South Sudan.
The meeting will begin with an open session at 2.30pm on Tuesday, after which the media will be required to leave as proceedings continue behind closed doors.
Journalists will be allowed to rejoin the virtual meeting at 4pm for the reading of the communiqué containing the outcomes of the discussions.
The communiqué is expected to provide further details on the C5’s assessment of developments in South Sudan and the commitments made by participating countries as the country moves towards the scheduled December elections.
