South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and South Sudanese President Salva Kiir Mayardit held talks in Tshwane on Wednesday, focusing on South Sudan’s preparations for elections scheduled for December 22 and the country’s fragile peace process.
The discussions included implementation of South Sudan’s 2018 Revitalised Peace Agreement, political dialogue and support for the electoral process.
Focus on election readiness
Ramaphosa urged South Sudan to address the remaining political, security and logistical challenges ahead of the vote. He said tackling those issues would help create conditions for elections that are peaceful, credible and inclusive.
The source of the meeting did not provide details of the specific challenges facing the electoral process, nor did it state whether the elections would ultimately proceed as scheduled.
Regional role
Ramaphosa chairs the African Union High-Level Ad Hoc Committee on South Sudan. In that role, he has led regional discussions on whether South Sudan is ready for the December 22 vote.
South Africa is expected to support South Sudan’s electoral process. The talks with Kiir took place as regional attention remained focused on the implementation of the peace agreement and efforts to sustain political dialogue.
No specific agreements or decisions reached during the meeting were provided.
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