Algiers — The President of the Republic, Abdelmadjid Tebboune, on Tuesday reaffirmed Algeria's principled and steadfast commitment to South Sudan, pledging full solidarity with the brotherly country as it works to complete the building of its institutions.
In an address to participants in the virtual meeting of the African Union (AU) High-Level Ad Hoc Committee on South Sudan (C5+), read on his behalf by Prime Minister Sifi Ghrieb via video link, the President of the Republic stressed that "Algeria's commitment to South Sudan is by no means conjunctural ; it is a principled and steadfast commitment, one that has been demonstrated in practice on numerous occasions."
In this regard, he reiterated "Algeria's full solidarity with this brotherly country in its endeavour to complete the building of its institutions," expressing its readiness to provide "all necessary logistical and technical support to assist the South Sudanese authorities and electoral bodies at this decisive stage."
Regarding the situation in South Sudan, President Tebboune noted that the country "stands on the threshold of a pivotal phase as its electoral process draws near, the completion of which will mark a watershed moment in the history of this State."
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He said that "these elections, awaited with great impatience by the South Sudanese people, face chronic and genuine challenges, amid the risk that the gains achieved in recent years may be called into question."
The President of the Republic emphasized that "the political deadlock between the signatories to the Revitalized Peace Agreement weighs heavily on the entire transitional process and on the very future of the agreement," noting that it is "our duty today to support this brotherly country in moving forward with this process, which is aimed at ending the protracted internal crisis, through a clear assessment of its current situation and the identification of the urgent measures we must take."
Furthermore, President Tebboune underscored that the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan (R-ARCSS) "remains the legitimate political framework capable of overcoming the present crisis, and that the South Sudanese people alone are the arbiters of their own future."
Against this backdrop, Algeria called on all signatory parties to "engage actively and positively in a comprehensive and constructive political dialogue, in which the higher national interest prevails over short-term calculations," the President of the Republic added, warmly welcoming the initiative put forward by the brotherly Republic of South Africa, in its capacity as chair of the C5 group, to host a political dialogue among the signatories to the Revitalized Agreement, which he described as "a step of great importance."
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In conclusion, President Tebboune called on the summit to "send a strong and united African message that expresses our full solidarity with the South Sudanese people and affirms our collective commitment to stand by them until they are safely anchored in peace and stability."
