South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has reiterated his country’s commitment to support South Sudan to ensure a smooth end to the transitional period.
The South African leader held talks with South Sudanese key political actors including President Salva Kirr and the First President Riek Machar as part of his working visit to South Sudan.
“We will provide every support possible within our means to ensure a democratic and peaceful end to the transitional period,” said South Africa’s Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Naledi Pandor, delivering Ramaphosa’s remarks on Thursday.
Ramaphosa and his team arrived in South Sudan on Tuesday and was briefed by President Salva Kiir Mayardit and other stakeholders on the status of the implementation of the Revitalised Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan (R-ARCSS), which was signed on September 12, 2018.
The R-ARCSS is coming to an end on February 22, 2025, and must be preceded by elections scheduled for December 2024.
Peaceful transition
While in Juba, Ramaphosa met with the parties to the peace agreement and discussed the progress on its implementation.
“As we return to South Africa, we are hopeful that the parties will continue to engage in dialogue and find consensus on outstanding issues of the implementation of the revitalised agreement so that the people of South Sudan can look forward to a peaceful and democratic end to the transitional period,” Ramaphosa said.
Ramaphosa added that South Africa will hold general elections in May this year to afford its people their democratic right to choose their leaders.
“We are pleased that the National Elections Commission of South Sudan will observe our elections as part of the African Union Elections Observation Mission,” he said.
He said the people of South Sudan are eagerly waiting for the general elections, which will bring the end of the transitional period.
Conflict concerns
Ramaphosa said that South Africa is deeply concerned about the ongoing conflict and humanitarian catastrophe in Sudan, which is also affecting other countries in the region, including South Sudan.
“We support the role of IGAD and the AU in the resolution of the conflict in Sudan, and we would like to see their efforts intensified in this regard,” he said, referring to the Intergovernmental Authority on Development and the African Union.
On Feb. 22, 2020, South Sudan formed the Revitalised Transitional Government of National Unity (RTGoNU), which had long been provided for under Chapter 1 of the R-ARCSS signed between the government and opposition political parties to end years of ruinous conflict that has killed thousands of people and forced millions from their homes.
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