Juba 25 March 2026- Recently African Union, through its ad hoc committee known as AU C5, attempted to redesign a strategy for handling the political transitional process in South Sudan through encouraging South Sudan parties to the 2018 peace agreement to embrace dialogue and de-escalate military approaches which are more destructive to society and human life across South Sudan. The AU C-5 member states, namely South Africa, Nigeria, Algeria, Chad, and Rwanda, decided to host a meeting on the margins of the African Union Head of States and Government Summit in Ethiopia-Addis Ababa, dated 15th February, 2026. The AU C5 Plus Summit came out with a Declaration for shaping steps for genuine actions towards securing successful political transitional process in South Sudan. The Declaration of the AU C5 Plus is aiming at complementing IGAD in transitioning the situation of South Sudan from violence to peace.
South Sudan has been undergoing a political transition process since 2015, through the implementation of the signed peace agreement, which was revitalized in 2018. The Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan (R-ARCSS), also known as the 2018 peace agreement, saw slow implementation and multiple extensions.
The major factor for the slow implementation of the peace agreement was a high deficit in trust and confidence among the leaders of the parties’ signatories to the R-ARCSS. Several attempts were executed for their reconciliation, but all in vain. The latest attempt is the intervention of the AU C5 to complement IGAD in transitioning the situation of South Sudan from violence to peace. The AU C5, under the Chair of South Africa, decided to undertake a proactive role in South Sudan transitional process. The South African proactiveness was demonstrated by their step of hosting the AU C5 Plus Summit on South Sudan alongside the African Union Head of State and Government Summit held from 11th to 15th February, 2026 in Ethiopia-Addis Ababa. The AU C5 Summit reached agreed upon resolutions that were framed as AU C5 Roadmap for South Sudan Transitional Process. AU C5 Roadmap for South Sudan Transitional Process is composed of multiple decisions/resolutions that require genuine implementation for transitioning the situation from violence to peace.
As result, and in seeking an effective demonstration of political commitment from the South Sudan government as the primary actor and the African Union as a Peace Guarantor and facilitator, CEPO decided to launch a Civil Society-African Union Dialogue for Transitional Process (CSAUDTP). CSAUDTP is aimed at strengthening the role of the civil society in fostering the transitional process in a consultative manner. CSAUDPT is a coalition of civil society from the national, states and Administrative Areas that will be engaging the African Union and IGAD regularly for a genuine political transitional process in South Sudan.
CSAUDPT will be a platform that brings civil society, the African Union, IGAD, the government of South Sudan, and political actors to consultatively deliberate on the transitional process for meeting the best interest of the citizens, which is peace, security, and political stability. The consultative deliberations, or dialogues, will be conducted on a monthly and quarterly basis to influence the South Sudan and African Union actors for the realization of a genuine political transitional process.
CEPO intends for CSAUDPT to be a real driver of generating influence and evidence-based, advocacy and lobby engagement with national, regional and international actors for the success of transitional process in South Sudan. CSAUDPT is a platform for the implementation of the recent outcomes of AU-CSOs Strategic Dialogue on Advancing Mediation and Dialogue in South Sudan dated 11th to 13th June, 2025 in Addis Ababa-Ethiopia
- Operation of CSAUDPT
The CSAUDPT will be a platform for consultative dialogue/conversation between civil society and African Union Mission in South Sudan on the transitional process in a periodic manner. (Quarterly). Actions to be undertaken are:
- Mapping civil society actors across the country for evidence-based information gathering and dialogue on moving the transitional process forward through the revival and implementation of the pending tasks under the 2018 peace agreement; and
- The civil society compiled reports will be shared with AUMISS in a dialogue format. The dialogue will entail the coming together of civil society across the country online for a discussion with AUMISS on the content of the compiled Civil Society Transitional Process Report. The dialogue is to generate deliberations for fostering decision for actions for accelerating the transitional process
- Purpose of CSAUDPT
To provide an accurate and evidence-based information with African Union Mission in South Sudan on transitional process.
- Objectives of CSAUDPT
- To create space for a consultative dialogue on the transitional process
- To promote joint efforts for the success of the transitional process
- To enhance collaboration of Civil Society and African Union on transitional process
- Expected Results
- Space for consultative dialogue on the transitional process between CSOs and AUMISS created.
- Joint efforts for the success of the transitional process between CSOs and AUMISS promoted to influence policy decision-making in government.
- Collaboration of Civil Society and African Union on transitional process enhanced for policy action in the country.
- Targeted participants
- Civil society leaders across the country
- AUMISS officials in Juba (if possible, Addis Ababa team can join online)
- The Dialogue Format
- Physical event in Juba with participation of 7 to 9 leaders of CSOs
- Online event: Civil society leaders at state level online. CEPO will cater for the online logistics/services
Fine attached of the full document : https://cepo.org.ss/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Civil-Society-AU-Dialogue-on-Transitional-Process-in-South-Sudan-2026-Final-.docx
