C5 to strengthen coordination on South Sudan as Nigeria pledges electoral support
The African Union’s C5 has been tasked with strengthening coordination among regional and international actors supporting South Sudan’s peace process and preparations for the December 2026 elections, with Nigeria offering technical assistance to the electoral proce
The commitment was contained in a declaration issued after the C5 Plus virtual summit on 29 September, which brought together representatives of the C5 and other regional and international stakeholders.
The declaration calls for the establishment of a joint AU-IGAD-UN subcommittee, or taskforce, under the auspices of the C5 and working closely with the AU High Representative for the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea.
The proposed taskforce is expected to support preventive diplomacy, strengthen coordination among stakeholders, monitor progress on agreed measures and provide political oversight and strategic guidance in support of the peace process and preparations for the elections.
The C5 also requested member states and international partners to provide voluntary and needs-based technical assistance to South Sudan, including support for electoral processes, disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration, security sector reform, and related technical, financial and logistical requirements.
Nigeria has offered technical support for the electoral process, including capacity building for electoral officers, electoral management, civic and voter education, registration arrangements for internally displaced people, refugees and returnees, post-election dispute resolution, and election security.
The declaration states: “Welcomes the pledge by the Federal Republic of Nigeria of technical support including capacity building for electoral officers on electoral management, civic and voters education, developing modalities for registration of IDPs, refugees and returnees, post-election dispute resolution process, and training on election security and deployment on election day.”
Nigeria participated in the C5 Plus summit through its Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye, who represented President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Former Nigerian Foreign Minister Geoffrey Onyeama also participated in the summit in his capacity as head of the AU Pre-Election Assessment Mission to South Sudan.
The C5 commended the deployment of the AU Pre-Election Assessment Mission and called for urgent action on its findings concerning the political, legal, technical, operational, financial and security requirements for the elections.
The declaration specifically requested the Chairperson of the African Union Commission to take urgent action on the mission’s findings to support a “peaceful, credible, inclusive, and transparent electoral process in accordance with the R-ARCSS.”
The C5 further called on AU member states and international partners to align any technical and financial assistance with verified electoral needs and the nationally agreed electoral roadmap.
The declaration also reaffirmed the primary responsibility of the Government of South Sudan to finance and implement its commitments under the peace agreement, while recognising offers from member states to provide technical assistance.
It called for strengthened cooperation among the AU, IGAD, R-JMEC, the United Nations and other regional and international partners as South Sudan moves towards the planned elections and the conclusion of the transitional period.
The C5 also directed the AU Commission to follow up on the implementation of the declaration and said it would remain seized of the situation in South Sudan.
