Kiir in Ethiopia for AU Summit as Juba struggles to consolidate security

JUBA — President Salva Kiir Mayardit arrived in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on Friday to participate in the 39th Ordinary Session of the African Union (AU) Assembly of Heads of State and Government, as South Sudan continues to grapple with persistent insecurity and fragile political progress at home.

The President departed the capital Juba on Friday, and he was welcomed by Ethiopia’s Minister of Mining Habtamu Tegegn and the country’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Berhanu Tsegaye.

Kiir’s trip comes at a delicate time for Africa’s youngest nation, where efforts to consolidate security arrangements under the 2018 Revitalised Peace Agreement remain incomplete.

While the unity government has maintained relative calm in parts of the country, sporadic clashes, intercommunal violence, and political tensions between rival factions continue to test the durability of the peace deal.

In Jonglei State, clashes between the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces and the Sudan People’s Liberation Army in Opposition have displaced over 200,000 civilians across four counties, according to data from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

The AU summit, convening at the AU headquarters in Addis Ababa, is expected to focus on continental priorities, including peace and security, governance reforms, economic resilience, and this year’s theme on sustainable water management and sanitation under Agenda 2063.

For South Sudan, however, the spotlight is likely to fall on the status of its peace implementation, preparations for elections slated for December 2026, and the broader stability of the transitional arrangement.

In recent months, security incidents in parts of Jonglei, Unity, Upper Nile and other states have raised fresh concerns about the pace of unifying armed forces and establishing a credible command structure.

Kiir is expected to engage with regional leaders and members of the AU Peace and Security Council, as well as the AU ad-hoc High-Level Committee on South Sudan (C5), which continues to monitor implementation of the Revitalised Agreement. The committee, comprising several African heads of state, has played a pivotal role in mobilising continental support for South Sudan’s transition.