JUBA — An expanded special session of the Presidency, chaired by President Salva Kiir, has unanimously approved key clauses in the Revitalized Peace Agreement for urgent amendment, a move aimed at paving the way for South Sudan to conduct its national elections.
The decision follows a communiqué issued after last week’s Presidency meeting, which underscored the urgent need to amend provisions of the peace agreement that have been hindering the electoral process.
Speaking to the press after the meeting, the Minister of Cabinet Affairs, Dr. Martin Elia Lomuro, said the agreed amendments will now undergo established institutional procedures.
Lomuro said the draft amendments will first be tabled before the Council of Ministers, then submitted to the Reconstituted Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (RJMEC), before being presented to the National Legislative Assembly for final debate and approval.
During the meeting, the Presidency and political parties reaffirmed their commitment to holding national elections next year, describing the polls as a critical milestone toward consolidating peace, stability, and democratic governance.
Leaders noted that, once approved by the relevant institutions, the proposed amendments are expected to address long-standing challenges within the peace framework and place the country on course toward its first democratic elections since independence.
However, the process has drawn criticism for its lack of inclusivity. The Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army–In Opposition (SPLM/A-IO) currently operates under two rival factions, and the faction loyal to suspended Dr. Riek Machar, the First Vice President and principal signatory to the 2018 peace agreement, was not represented in the decision-making process.
Machar’s exclusion comes amid heightened political tensions following his arrest in March 2025, after which he has remained under trial, a development that has significantly constrained the participation of his faction in key political and peace-related processes.
