South Sudan's English Daily Newspaper
"We Dare where others fear"
By Jenifer James
The Chairperson of the African Union Commission, H.E. Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, and H.E Mohammed Abdi Ware, Deputy Executive Secretary of IGAD, are set to arrive in South Sudan for a two-day visit on Monday.
Activist Edmund Yakani has welcomed their joint visit, describing it as a vital opportunity to alleviate tensions and restore confidence in the country’s fragile peace process.
The two regional leaders are expected to arrive in Juba on Monday for a high-level mission aimed at de-escalating recent outbreaks of political violence that threaten South Sudan’s transitional process. They are scheduled to depart on Tuesday.
In a statement to the media on Sunday, Yakani said, “The mission of the AU and IGAD comes at a crucial time for de-escalating the violence among parties to the Revitalised Agreement, which is undermining trust in our political transition.”
Yakani emphasized that the visit is a direct response to advocacy by civil society groups seeking stronger regional engagement. “We are so impressed that at least IGAD and the AU have responded to our calls,” he stated.
Yakani urged the South Sudanese government to cooperate fully with the visiting leaders. “This is a positive signal from the AU and IGAD. We hope our government will effectively engage with them,” he added.
Reflecting on past visits by special envoys that yielded limited results, Yakani stressed the importance of making this mission impactful.
“The lessons from previous visits should not repeat themselves. These two leaders have supported us throughout our struggle for independence and our attempts to restore political order through the peace agreement,” Yakani said.
He also called for inclusive consultations with all stakeholders, including civil society, during the visit.
“We appeal to the AU and IGAD to hold inclusive meetings with all parties to the peace agreement. The goal must be to build national consensus,” Yakani said.
“South Sudanese have disagreed on how to transition the country from violence to peace, but as stakeholders, we are united in our belief that the only viable path is through dialogue, not violence,” he added. “Violence is making ordinary citizens pay a very painful price.”
Yakani concluded with a strong appeal to the leaders of South Sudan: “This visit should serve as a pivotal moment. It must contribute to de-escalating violence and resuming dialogue for the timely implementation of the peace agreement’s pending tasks.”
