Nigeria calls for ‘unconditional’ release of South Sudan’s Machar

ADDIS ABABA – Nigeria has called on the government of South Sudan to immediately and unconditionally release First Vice President Riek Machar and other opposition figures from detention, warning that the country’s current political trajectory threatens its stability ahead of delayed elections.

The appeal was made by Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima, during a high-level summit of the African Union’s Ad Hoc Committee for South Sudan (C5) in Addis Ababa on Sunday.

“We wish to specifically call on the government to consider the immediate and unconditional release from detention of the Vice President and other key opposition figures,” Shettima told the gathering of heads of state.

“It is also imperative to convene an all-inclusive South Sudan national dialogue and reconciliation forum.”

Machar, leader of the main armed opposition SPLM-IO, who serves as First Vice President in the transitional government, has faced varying degrees of restriction on his movement since the signing of the 2018 peace deal.

He was arrested in March last year and is now in a legal proceedings his opposition outfit has dismissed as a “sham trial”. His status remains a contentious issue as the country prepares for general elections now scheduled for December 2026.

Tinubu warned that without a consensus among the political elite, the transition toward democracy would likely fail.

“We cannot allow South Sudan to continue on its current trajectory,” the Nigerian leader said. “Without national unity and elite consensus, not much can be achieved on the transition programme.”

He urged African leaders to prevail on South Sudan’s stakeholders to prioritize the conduct of “inclusive, peaceful, and transparent national elections” as the only means to build trust in the young nation’s leadership.

The C5 summit, chaired by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, was convened to assess the slow implementation of the peace agreement, which has lagged eight years after its signing. Ramaphosa noted that 2026 would be a “decisive year” for the country.

“This C-5 Plus Summit demonstrates the commitment of leaders to finding a lasting solution in the interest of the people of South Sudan,” Ramaphosa said.

Djibouti President Ismail Omar Guelleh, who chairs the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), proposed the appointment of a lead mediator to monitor the peace deal’s implementation and address emerging challenges.

The meeting was attended by key regional stakeholders, including Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, and representatives from Chad and Rwanda.