Africa: Communiqué of the 1326th Meeting of the PSC Held On 23 January 2026, On Updated Briefing On the Situation in the Republic of South Sudan

5 February 2026
African Union (Addis Ababa)

COMMUNIQUE

Adopted by the Peace and Security Council (PSC) of the African Union (AU), at its 1326th meeting held on 23 January 2026, on Updated Briefing on the Situation in the Republic of South Sudan.

The Peace and Security Council,

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Recalling all its previous decisions and pronouncements on the situation in South Sudan, particularly the Communiqués: [PSC/PR/COMM.1308.1 (2025)] adopted at its 1308th meeting held on 28 October 2025; [PSC/PR/COMM.1297 (2025) adopted at its 1297th meeting held on 15 August 2025; [PSC/PR/COMM.1283 (2025)] adopted at its 1283rd meeting held on 12 June 2025; [PSC/PR/COMM.1265 (2025)] adopted at its 1265th meeting held on 18 March 2025; as well as Press Statement [PSC/PR/BR.1270 (2025)], adopted at its 1270th meeting held on 31 March 2025;

Deeply concerned about the slow pace of the implementation of the R-ARCSS, while remaining conscious of the outstanding critical transitional tasks that should be implemented within the remaining extended timelines, that is, by February 2027;

Reiterating the unwavering commitment of the AU, as a guarantor of the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCSS), signed on 12 September 2018, to support its full implementation; Reaffirming the solidarity of the AU with the people and the Government of the Republic of South Sudan in their legitimate aspirations to restore durable peace, security, stability and development in their country, which will significantly benefit the Horn of Africa region and the African Continent as a whole;

Taking note of the opening remarks by H.E. Ambassador Jean-Leon Ngandu Illunga, Permanent Representative of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to the AU and PSC Chairperson for January 2026; Introductory Statement by H.E. Ambassador Bankole Adeoye, Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security; also taking note of the statements by the representatives of the Republic of South Sudan as the concerned country; and the Republic of South Africa as Chair of the AU High-Level Ad Hoc Committee of Five for South Sudan (C5); as well as the statements by the representatives of the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD); the Reconstituted Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (R-JMEC) and the United Nations; and

Acting under Article 7 of its Protocol, the Peace and Security Council:

1. Expresses deep concern over the slow implementation of the R-ARCSS and reported cases of ceasefire violations, including widespread aerial bombardments and clashes among signatories to the 2018 Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan (R-ARCSS); and in this context calls for the immediate and unconditional cessation of all hostilities;

2. Also expresses deep concern over the deteriorating humanitarian situation resulting from a combination of the influx of refugees from Sudan, the ongoing situation of insecurity in the country and the adverse effects of climate change; demands the belligerents to guarantee unfettered humanitarian access to the affected population; and appeals to all humanitarian agencies to sustain their efforts in addressing the situation;

3. Further expresses deep concern over the reported cases of violations of human rights and international humanitarian law including sexual violence, arbitrary detentions, and extra-judicial killings and strongly warns the perpetrators of these atrocities that they will be held accountable for their heinous acts;

4. Emphasizes that there can be no viable military solution to the challenges facing the country and that the R-ARCSS remains the only overarching and viable framework for promoting sustainable peace, stability and development in South Sudan;

5. Strongly urges South Sudan's political leaders to recommit to dialogue and consensus-building to prevent a total collapse of the peace process;

6. Calls on the Reconstituted Transitional Government of National Unity (RTGoNU) to reconstitute itself as per the provisions of the R-ARCSS and to expedite the implementation of outstanding transitional tasks in the letter and spirit of the R-ARCSS, and to adhere strictly to its provisions, including upholding the supremacy of the Agreement;

7. Emphasizes that priority should be given to the organization of elections by December 2026 in order to meet the aspiration of the South Sudanese people in ending the transitional period by February 2027 and calls on all parties to engage in this electoral process;

8. Emphasizes the need to provide concrete support to South Sudanese institutions engaged in constitution-making, conducting of the census, and electoral processes, including the National Elections Commission (NEC), to ensure the successful conduct of elections in the country;

9. Emphasizes the urgent need for the RTGoNU with the support of the AU Commission, to expedite the establishment of the Hybrid Court for South Sudan to investigate, and if necessary, to prosecute all those found to be responsible for any crimes committed during the transitional period;

10. Commends the mediation efforts by IGAD and also the efforts being deployed by the AU High-Level Ad Hoc Committee of Five for South Sudan (C5) under the leadership of the Republic of South Africa, including the recent Ministerial level visit to Juba, conducted from 14 to 15 January 2026 and looks forward to receiving the report of the visit;

11. Welcomes the offer by the Republic of South Africa, as the Chair of C-5, to host a political retreat of the signatory parties to the R-ARCSS; and looks forward to the convening of a C-5 Plus Summit on the margins of the upcoming 39th Ordinary Session of the AU Assembly of Heads of State and Government to be held in Addis Ababa in February 2026; and strongly encourages all parties to participate in the said Summit and retreat;

12. Also commends the AU Panel of the Wise for the continued engagement in South Sudan; as well as the R-JMEC for continuing to monitor and evaluate the implementation of the R-ARCSS under the auspices of IGAD;

13. Underlines the need for sustained and harmonized engagements by IGAD, AU and UN with the RTGoNU to keep the fragile peace process alive by ensuring an amicable resolution of the current political and security impasse, including the release of the First Vice President and all other political detainees in order to facilitate meaningful dialogue and a return to the implementation of the R-ARCSS;

14. Calls on the parties to the Revitalized Peace Agreement to prioritize the supreme interests of the people of South Sudan above all else and to:

i. Take a people-centred approach;

ii. Refrain from any actions that may contribute towards escalation of tension, including hate speech and ideology of hate;

iii. Reinvigorate their commitment to political inclusion;

iv. Cease unilateral actions and all forms of hostilities;

v. Embrace inclusive and genuine dialogue;

vi. Re-activate the implementation mechanisms of the Revitalized Peace Agreement, and

vii. Fully adhere to the Permanent Ceasefire and Transitional Security Arrangements.

15. Encourages meaningful participation of women and youth at all levels of social and political life in South Sudan;

16. Underscores the importance of scaling up resource mobilization and logistical support to facilitate the expeditious implementation of the critical tasks of the R-ARCSS, including completion of the unification of forces, the making of the permanent constitution and preparations for elections to be organized in December 2026, and in this context, requests the AU Commission to provide necessary support; and appeals to the international partners to remain united and engaged in supporting the implementation of the remaining aspects of the R-ARCSS;

17. Also expresses deep concern over the deteriorating humanitarian situation resulting from a combination of the influx of refugees from Sudan, the ongoing situation of insecurity in the country and the adverse effects of climate change; demands the belligerents to guarantee unfettered humanitarian access to the affected population; and appeals to all humanitarian agencies to sustain their efforts in addressing the situation;

18. Requests the AU Commission to continue providing technical support, including in the fields of disarmament demobilization and reintegration (DDR), security sector reform (SSR), constitution-making, transitional-justice, population census, among others, to facilitate expeditious implementation of all outstanding transitional tasks;

19. Reiterates the request for the Chairperson of the Commission to urgently appoint a High Representative for South Sudan to support the peace process;

20. Also reiterates the request for the AU Commission to avail necessary resources to enable the AULO in South Sudan to effectively implement its mandate; and

21. Decides to remain actively seized of the matter.

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