Download<\/a><\/div>\nIn a bold and meticulously argued official statement released yesterday from the Holdout Opposition heartlands, the National Parties Alliance (NPA) has issued what many observers are calling a potential game-changer for South Sudan\u2019s beleaguered peace efforts. Titled \u201cOfficial Statement by the National Parties Alliance (NPA) on the Peace Process, the Upcoming Elections, and the Imperative for One Tangible Agreement in the Republic of South Sudan,\u201d the document\u2014issued via the Leadership Council on February 23, 2026\u2014lays out a clear, uncompromising position: elections are welcome, but only after a single, unified, enforceable peace deal that finally addresses the root causes of the country\u2019s decade-plus cycle of violence.<\/p>\n
The NPA, an umbrella body representing holdout opposition parties and groups that never signed the 2018 Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan (R-ARCSS), positions itself not as obstructionists but as pragmatic guardians of genuine democracy. \u201cWe are not opposed to the conduct of national elections in our beloved country,\u201d the statement declares. \u201cOn the contrary, we warmly welcome and actively support the holding of credible, free, fair, transparent, and inclusive elections at the earliest possible date, provided that these elections are preceded by and anchored upon One Tangible, Comprehensive, and Implementable Agreement.\u201d<\/p>\n
This stance comes at a critical juncture. With national elections nominally scheduled for December 2026, the transitional government faces mounting pressure from within and without. Yet the ground reality\u2014escalating clashes in Upper Nile, Equatoria, and Bahr el Ghazal regions; the prolonged house arrest and ongoing trial of First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar Teny; millions of displaced citizens; and a collapsing economy\u2014suggests the country is nowhere near ready for credible polls.<\/p>\n
A Clear Red Line: No Elections Without Foundational Reforms<\/strong><\/p>\nThe NPA\u2019s message is unequivocal. Elections without resolving the drivers of conflict \u201cwill not bring democracy; they will only deepen division, legitimize exclusion, and plunge our nation into yet another spiral of bloodshed.\u201d Instead, the alliance demands \u201cOne Tangible Agreement that merges the strengths of the 2018 R-ARCSS and the Tumaini Initiative into a single, unified, enforceable document that no party can selectively violate or abandon.\u201d<\/p>\n
The statement extends \u201cfull and unwavering support\u201d to key international actors: Kenyan President William Samoei Ruto, the East African Community (EAC), IGAD, the African Union (AU), the United Nations, the Troika (US, UK, Norway), and the C5. It praises their \u201ctireless and noble efforts\u201d and offers to collaborate on \u201cOne Final, All-Inclusive National Dialogue\u201d that includes every holdout group, civil society, youth, women, religious leaders, and aggrieved parties.<\/p>\n
Six Non-Negotiable Pillars for Credible Elections<\/strong><\/p>\nAt the heart of the document are six \u201cnon-negotiable prerequisites\u201d that must be met before any ballot is cast:<\/p>\n
\n- Insecurity and the Proliferation of Armed Groups<\/strong>: Large swathes of the country remain zones of active hostilities. Citizens cannot campaign or vote safely amid constant threats.<\/li>\n
- The Absence of a Permanent Constitution<\/strong>: South Sudan still lacks a people-owned supreme law defining power-sharing, resource allocation, and center-state relations. Elections under the current disputed framework would lack legitimacy.<\/li>\n
- The Lack of a Unified, Professional, and Non-Partisan National Army<\/strong>: Without completed security sector reform creating \u201cOne National Army\u201d loyal to the state rather than factions or ethnic blocs, polls would occur \u201cunder the barrel of factional guns.\u201d<\/li>\n
- Repatriation and Reintegration of Refugees and IDPs<\/strong>: Over two million South Sudanese remain in exile, with millions more internally displaced. Their safe return and participation are essential for legitimacy.<\/li>\n
- The Urgent Need for a Credible National Census<\/strong>: No election can proceed without an internationally supervised count to establish accurate voter registers and constituencies.<\/li>\n
- Immediate and Unconditional Release of Dr. Riek Machar Teny and All Other Political Detainees<\/strong>: The statement is particularly forceful here. It demands the release of the SPLM-IO leader and others \u201cwithout delay if no credible evidence exists to sustain charges against them in a fair and transparent judicial process.\u201d Prolonged detention on \u201cpolitically motivated grounds,\u201d it argues, \u201cundermines national reconciliation, fuels mistrust, and contradicts the spirit of inclusive dialogue.\u201d Their freedom would be a powerful confidence-building measure.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
These pillars, the NPA insists, are not optional add-ons but foundational requirements for any democratic exercise.<\/p>\n
Declaring the 2018 R-ARCSS \u201cFailed\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\nThe statement does not mince words about the existing framework. Recalling the NPA\u2019s principled decision not to sign the 2018 R-ARCSS, it quotes President Salva Kiir\u2019s own admission during mediation: \u201cI will sign the agreement, but it will be very difficult to implement it.\u201d That prediction, the alliance says, has proven tragically accurate.<\/p>\n
\u201cSome parties to the 2018 agreement have repeatedly and flagrantly violated its core provisions,\u201d the document charges. As a result, \u201cfierce fighting continues to rage in the Upper Nile Region, in parts of the Equatoria Region, and across large swathes of the Bahr el Ghazal Region. Innocent civilians are dying daily. Villages are being burned. Women and children are suffering atrocities\u2026 The economy is collapsing. Hunger stalks the land.\u201d<\/p>\n
After \u201ccareful reflection, broad consultation\u2026 and deep prayer,\u201d the NPA formally declares the R-ARCSS has \u201crun its course\u201d and \u201ccan no longer serve as the sole framework for our future.\u201d<\/p>\n
A Bold Proposal: One New Comprehensive Agreement<\/strong><\/p>\nIn its place, the alliance calls for immediate negotiations toward \u201cOne New, Comprehensive, Tangible, and All-Inclusive National Peace Agreement.\u201d This new pact must:<\/p>\n
\n- Seamlessly integrate positive elements of both the R-ARCSS and the Kenyan-led Tumaini Initiative.<\/li>\n
- Contain clear, time-bound, verifiable, and enforceable benchmarks.<\/li>\n
- Include robust monitoring, accountability, and sanctions mechanisms.<\/li>\n
- Guarantee genuine power-sharing, equitable resource distribution, justice for past atrocities, and a credible roadmap to democracy.<\/li>\n
- Begin with the unconditional release of political detainees.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
The NPA expresses \u201cconviction beyond any shadow of doubt\u201d that this single agreement is \u201cthe only viable path\u201d to ending conflict, healing wounds, and enabling the elections South Sudanese \u201cso desperately deserve and desire.\u201d<\/p>\n
A Direct Appeal to the International Community<\/strong><\/p>\nThe statement closes with an urgent, humble appeal to Kenya, the EAC, C5, IGAD, AU, UN, Troika, and \u201call other peace-loving nations\u201d to convene \u201cthis final round of talks without further delay.\u201d It suggests Nairobi or another neutral venue, insists on inclusivity and transparency, and calls for guns to fall silent once the agreement is signed.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe people of South Sudan have suffered enough,\u201d it concludes poignantly. \u201cOur children deserve schools, not battlefields. Our mothers deserve clinics, not refugee camps. Our youth deserve jobs and hope, not AK-47s and despair\u2026 Let this be the moment when South Sudan turns the page\u2026 One Tangible Agreement. One Final Dialogue. One United South Sudan. Then \u2013 and only then \u2013 credible elections that will truly reflect the will of our people.\u201d<\/p>\n
Context and Implications<\/strong><\/p>\nThe timing could hardly be more significant. South Sudan\u2019s political transition, repeatedly extended, is fraying at the seams. The 2018 R-ARCSS brought an uneasy calm after the 2013-2018 civil war but has been plagued by slow implementation, repeated violations, and exclusion of several armed and political groups\u2014the very groups now under the NPA umbrella.<\/p>\n
The Tumaini Initiative, launched in 2024 under President Ruto\u2019s mediation to bring holdouts into the fold, has faced repeated suspensions and challenges but remains the most promising vehicle for broader inclusion. By explicitly calling for a merger of the two frameworks, the NPA offers a pragmatic bridge between established structures and the demands of those left outside.<\/p>\n
Dr. Machar\u2019s detention since March 2025\u2014following clashes in Nasir County, subsequent charges of treason and other serious offenses, and an ongoing closed-door trial\u2014has become a flashpoint. Recent African Union (C5) and SPLM-IO statements have echoed calls for his release as a confidence-building step. The NPA\u2019s demand aligns with and amplifies these voices.<\/p>\n
On the ground, the humanitarian toll is staggering. Active hostilities, aerial bombardments, and restrictions on aid have displaced hundreds of thousands more in recent months. The economy remains in freefall, with inflation rampant and basic services nonexistent in much of the country. A credible census, constitutional process, and security sector reform have all lagged dangerously behind schedule.<\/p>\n
A Moment of Truth for South Sudan and Its Partners<\/strong><\/p>\nThe NPA\u2019s statement is more than rhetoric from the sidelines. As a recognized coalition of holdout and marginalized parties operating outside the main power-sharing arrangements, the alliance commands significant support in regions long neglected by Juba. Its readiness to \u201cnegotiate in good faith\u201d and \u201cmake the necessary compromises\u201d signals openness to a genuine breakthrough.<\/p>\n
Whether the government, other signatories, and international mediators seize this opening remains to be seen. President Kiir\u2019s administration has signaled determination to push toward elections, but critics argue this risks legitimizing an exclusionary status quo. Regional bodies and global partners now face a choice: continue propping up a faltering framework or invest diplomatic capital in the \u201cOne Final Dialogue\u201d the NPA envisions.<\/p>\n
The people of South Sudan\u2014exhausted by conflict, displacement, and broken promises\u2014have waited long enough. As the NPA eloquently puts it, the martyrs\u2019 sacrifice and children\u2019s dreams demand more than perpetual transition. They demand peace, unity, and a future built on one solid, tangible foundation.<\/p>\n
One Tangible Agreement. One United South Sudan. The clock is ticking.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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