Chairperson,

Members of the African Union Peace and Security Council,

Excellencies,

On behalf of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General, Nicholas Haysom, I would like to express our appreciation to the Council for convening its third meeting on the situation in South Sudan since the recent escalation of hostilities.

Equally, the visits by the Chairperson of the Commission, H.E.  Mahmoud Youssouf, and the Panel of the Wise to Juba, demonstrate the African Union’s commitment to resolving the concerning situation in South Sudan.

Since our last briefing to the Council, we have witnessed the continued erosion of the hard-won gains previously made in the peace process, including the trust and confidence built among the parties to the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan (R-ARCSS). 

We have also witnessed an escalation of armed clashes and stagnation in the implementation of the Revitalized Peace Agreement.

Our shared calls for a cessation of hostilities, de-escalation and return to dialogue have not yielded any concrete results. Instead, a pattern of violations and unilateralism persists, which continues to threaten the very purpose of a government of national unity to implement the Agreement.

The ongoing military offensives, including aerial bombardments and ground operations, continue unabated, undermining Chapter Two of the Peace Agreement. As a result, more than 130,000 people since March have been displaced, including tens of thousands who have crossed into Ethiopia. The conflict has also severely disrupted humanitarian operations in the affected states.

During the first three months of 2025, our teams have documented the highest number of civilian victims in a single quarter since 2020. If this trend continues, we are looking at a shift in conflict dynamics from sub-national and community-based violence to a more complex landscape shaped by ethnic divisions involving signatory parties and other actors.

The current security and political tensions have hampered all efforts to complete the outstanding transitional tasks, particularly security sector reform and the electoral and constitution-making processes. While government officials have publicly expressed their commitment to elections by December 2026, the Parties must take steps to return to dialogue and make the necessary decisions to move the country forward.

Excellencies,

South Sudan is at a critical juncture. Your bilateral and collective leverage is key to steering the focus of the parties back to the full implementation of the R-ARCSS. In this regard, I seek the support of this Council to:

1. Urge all parties to an immediate ceasefire, recommit to the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement and full implementation of R-ARCSS.
2. Reiterate your call of 31 March for the release of detained opposition leaders and discourage parties from taking decisions unilaterally.
3. Call for dialogue and political solutions, as there is no military solution to political issues. 
4. Call for full cooperation from all parties to facilitate the investigation by the Ceasefire Transitional Security Arrangements Monitoring and Verification Mechanism (CTSAMVM) into violations of the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement and R-ARCSS.

Excellencies,

The parties must de-escalate the current political tensions now before it is too late. The overriding imperative now is to direct all efforts towards preventing a relapse into war, supporting the inclusive implementation of the Agreement and progressing the transition towards South Sudan’s first democratic elections.

On the political front, the United Nations will continue its close partnership and coordination with the African Union and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) through its Trilateral coordination mechanism to actively engage with all the parties in addressing the challenges facing South Sudan and help move the peace process forward.

I thank you.