Minister Ronald Lamola has arrived in Juba, leading a High-Level African Union Ad-hoc Committee of Five (C5) Visit to South Sudan from 14 to 15 January 2026. He is leading the delegation in his capacity as the Chairperson.
This visit is a follow-up to the previous C5 Ministerial Visit to Juba, which took place exactly a year ago.
The visit serves as a precursor to a Peace and Security Council (PSC) Meeting of the African Union, scheduled for 19 January 2026, which will assess the situation in South Sudan. It also precedes the 39th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government and the proposed C5 Plus Summit, which will convene on the margins of the AU Assembly from 14 to 15 February 2026.
The year 2026 marks a pivotal moment for South Sudan, as the country is earmarked to hold its first-ever elections since gaining independence from Sudan in July 2011. The role of the C5 is to oversee the implementation of the Revitalised Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan (R-ARCSS).
South Sudan is currently led by a Revitalised Transitional Government of National Unity, with elections expected to be held in December 2026.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Republic of South Africa: Department of International Relations and Cooperation.
