AU C5 meets today to discuss South Sudan’s peace process and elections

The African Union High-Level Ad Hoc Committee on South Sudan (C5) is meeting today, 29 September 2026, to review developments in South Sudan ahead of the 22 December elections.

According to the Presidency of the Republic of South Africa, President Cyril Ramaphosa, who chairs the C5, will convene the virtual meeting with C5 members and IGAD member states.

The Presidency says the meeting will “follow up on the outcomes of the C5 Plus Summit” held in Addis Ababa in February and “take stock of developments” since the summit.

It will also assess the situation in South Sudan ahead of the elections and review recent engagements, including the C5 ministerial visit to Juba, the AU Peace and Security Council visit, and the August engagements by AU High Representative Dr Jakaya Kikwete and the AU Technical Assessment Team.

The Presidency says the meeting will assess progress on commitments arising from these engagements and “identify areas requiring further regional and continental support” for peace, stability and the political transition.

A communiqué is expected at the conclusion of the meeting.

Background

Today’s AU C5 meeting comes after the African Union Peace and Security Council’s August 2026 review of South Sudan, which raised concerns over the country’s political and security situation ahead of the planned 22 December 2026 elections.

The PSC welcomed the government’s commitment to hold elections but said credible polls require political consensus, inclusivity, an open civic space, citizen security and adequate funding for electoral institutions.

The Council also expressed concern over disagreements among signatories to the 2018 peace agreement, the failure to convene the planned inter-party dialogue and renewed armed confrontations in parts of the country.

Importantly, the PSC called on the transitional government to publish a realistic and consensual electoral roadmap and urged the government to provide predictable domestic funding to the National Elections Commission, National Constitutional Review Commission and Political Parties Council.

The Council also called for the immediate resumption of inclusive political dialogue and urged the parties to accelerate implementation of key provisions of the Revitalized Peace Agreement (R-ARCSS), including the unification and deployment of the Necessary Unified Forces.

The PSC further decided to hold a dedicated session on electoral preparedness in October 2026, based on findings from recent AU missions, including the C5, the AU High Representative for the Horn of Africa and Red Sea, and the AU Assessment Mission led by former Nigerian Foreign Minister Geoffrey Onyeama.

Against this background, today’s C5 meeting is expected to review progress since the February C5 Plus Summit and recent AU engagements, and consider what further regional and continental support is needed ahead of the December elections.