JUBA — An African Union (AU) Peace and Security Council delegation arrived in Juba on Thursday for high-stakes talks aimed at salvaging the country’s fragile 2018 peace agreement.
The visit, led by Ethiopia’s Permanent Representative Hirut Zemene Kassa, comes at a time of heightened tension following the 2025 house arrest of First Vice President Riek Machar.
The AU team is expected to press President Salva Kiir on a concrete timeline for elections, which have been pushed back to December 2026.
In a move toward deeper regional integration, President Kiir on Wednesday signed the East African Community (EAC) Treaty Act 2026 into law.
Legal experts called the domestication of the treaty “long overdue,” noting it provides a framework for South Sudan to fully participate in the regional common market, potentially easing the economic isolation caused by years of internal conflict.
