South Sudan Peace Deal Amendments Spark Concern

The embassies of Canada, France, Germany, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States, together with the European Union Delegation to South Sudan, issued a joint statement on Wednesday expressing grave concern over amendments made to the Peace Agreement adopted by South Sudan’s Transitional National Legislative Assembly (TNLA).

The statement followed the TNLA’s July 1 decision to approve amendments to the 2018 Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan (R-ARCSS).

The amendments revised the transition timeline by removing and deferring key pre-election requirements, including a national population census and the completion of a permanent constitution.

South Sudan is set to hold its first-ever general elections in December 2026, more than 15 years after it gained independence from Sudan.

However, observers cite that this month’s amendments were adopted without the full consensus of all original signatories to the peace agreement, and warn the move could push the country back into war.

“We call on all parties to commit to an immediate cessation of hostilities,” reads the joint statement issued today.