By Matik Kueth
The Vice President for Service Cluster, Josephine Lagu, On Thursday told the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) that 60 percent of the 2018 Revitalized Peace Agreement has been executed, underlining the government’s commitment to peace and democratic transition despite ongoing security challenges and the trial of SPLM-IO leader Dr. Riek Machar.
Lagu, who spoke at the 80th session in New York, described the accord as the foundation of the country’s fragile stability, noting that it has “held for seven years” and created conditions for displaced citizens to return home.
The Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCSS), signed in September 2018, ended a five-year civil war and established a transitional government shared between President Salva Kiir, Machar, and other opposition leaders.
The deal set out key reforms, including unifying rival forces, writing a permanent constitution, and organizing national elections.
Although progress has been achieved, Lagu acknowledged that financial constraints and logistical challenges have hampered implementation.
Nevertheless, she pointed to advances such as the training and phased deployment of unified forces, as well as preparations for long-delayed elections now scheduled for December 2026.
“Work is ongoing, including preparation for general elections in December 2026,” she said.
The peace process, however, faces new strains as Dr. Machar and several senior SPLM-IO members are currently on trial for treason, murder, and crimes against humanity over a March attack on a military base that left more than 250 soldiers dead. His supporters call the case a politically motivated attempt to weaken the opposition.
Lagu did not dismiss the gravity of the case but stressed that the matter was being handled within legal frameworks and reiterated her government’s pledge to ensure due process.
She appealed to the international community to support South Sudan’s transition, including lifting sanctions and arms embargoes that she said hinder security reforms.
Though the peace agreement faces significant violations despite peace guarantors’ appeal for a return to dialogue, the political crisis continue deepened, with Machar and his senior team facing a treason trial and Stephen Far now claiming Machar’s position as interim chair of the party, forming a separate faction in Juba.
This schism adds pressure to the peace process and underscore the urgency for renewed commitment from guarantors to preserve the gains of the agreement.
The vice president further called for renewed global investment in development and climate resilience, highlighting the South Sudan’s vulnerability to flooding and drought.
“The transitional period must end with the conduct of general elections,” she emphasized, framing the 2026 elections as the ultimate test of the peace deal.