The African Union (AU) Solidarity Mission on Women, Peace and Security (WPS) successfully concluded its two-day high-level gathering in Juba, reinforcing African solidarity and defining actionable steps for the implementation of the WPS Agenda. The mission was held under the theme, “Celebrating 25 years of 1325: Homegrown Solutions, Women-Led Peace for South Sudan: Keeping Hope Alive.”
The meeting brought together a diverse and comprehensive cohort of South Sudanese stakeholders. Participants included women leaders, women in politics/governance, women in academia, and representatives of South Sudanese women’s civil society networks, faith-based organizations, women with disability, women’s coalitions, and representatives from the grassroots and youth organizations.
Over the two days, this diverse group reflected on the progress, achievements, and challenges in implementing the WPS agenda in South Sudan over the past 25 years. They assessed the impact of national, regional, and local initiatives; proposed actionable recommendations to accelerate women’s participation, protection, and leadership in peace and security processes; and exchanged strategies and actions that advance the UNSCR 1325 agenda over the next 25 years, ensuring sustained women’s participation in peacebuilding, decision-making, and security governance.
The mission featured synchronized messages from the African Union, UN Women, Panel of the Wise/FemWise-Africa, and the Government of the Republic of South Sudan:
African Union Special Envoy’s Call: H.E. Ambassador Liberata Mulamula reaffirmed the African Union’s non-negotiable support for the meaningful inclusion of women, urging the Government to urgently ratify and domesticate the Convention on Ending Violence against Women and Girls. She emphasized the mission’s goal was to gather the wisdom of South Sudanese women and ensure their voices are carried to the organization’s Peace and Security Council.
Emphasis on Accountability: H.E. Justice Effie Owuor (Panel of the Wise/FemWise-Africa) stressed that peace is not yet secured and requires trust-building from the bottom up. She insisted that inclusion must be “meaningful, not symbolic,” and called for the critical protection and economic empowerment of women leaders to sustain their participation.
Ms. Doris Mpoumou, Special Representative of UN Women to the African Union Commission and United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, emphasized that the mission arrived at a “meaningful juncture” for South Sudan, demanding a shift from symbolic commitments to tangible implementation of the Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) agenda. Her central message focused on the urgent need to fully enforce the 35% quota across all transitional structures—including electoral and constitutional bodies—as a fundamental requirement for a transition that is both inclusive and legitimate. She reaffirmed UN Women’s role in coordinating efforts for survivor-centered justice and deploying Senior Gender Advisors, concluding by praising the “extraordinary resilience” of South Sudanese women who are central to the nation’s peace and stability.
Hon. Viola Samule Sati, Chairperson of the Women Parliamentary Caucus, delivered a powerful message asserting that “Peace in South Sudan was not a miracle—women built it,” and as such, women have earned and deserve their rightful place in leadership. Despite this pivotal role, she voiced grave concern over a worrying reduction in women parliamentarians and limited access to political positions, warning that “time is not on the side of women’s rights and political participation”. Hon. Sati declared that the Women, Peace and Security agenda is a collective effort, stressing the necessity of men acting as allies and champions by actively supporting women’s political participation, standing against harmful practices like early marriage, and intensifying advocacy across all sectors to secure gender equality in governance.
Government Commitment: Hon. Sarah Cleto Riel (Ag. Minister of Gender) acknowledged the challenges in meeting the 35% quota in key commissions but expressed the Government’s commitment to the WPS agenda. The Government further assured the delegation it would fast-track the process of ratifying the AU Convention on Ending Violence against Women and Girls.
H.E. Dr. Abdiweli Mohamed Ali Gaas (AU Special Representative to South Sudan) underscored that the WPS agenda is a contractual obligation and emphasized that the 2027 elections must be a platform for women’s full engagement to ensure a legitimate transition.
The mission concluded with a set of concrete, evidence-based recommendations under three thematic areas:
- Sustaining Gains: Recommendations focused on institutionalizing women’s leadership by strictly enforcing the 35% quota and accelerating the localization of the National Action Plan on WPS (NAP-WPS). They also urged the transformation of discriminatory norms through the ratification of key continental frameworks to eliminate Gender-Based Violence.
- Elections and Cohesion: To safeguard the electoral process, the mission proposed establishing a nationwide women-led election situation room for early warning and creating an innovative women’s political funding mechanism to enhance financial autonomy and political mobilization.
- Inter-Generational Solidarity: Long-term leadership was prioritized through the recommendation to establish programs for mentorship, knowledge exchange, and coaching for the next generation of South Sudanese women leaders.
The African Union expresses its profound gratitude to the many partners whose commitment and collaboration made this critical mission possible. This includes the co-host, the Ministry of Gender, Child and Social Welfare of the Republic of South Sudan, alongside the AU Political Affairs, Peace and Security Department (PAPS) and the African Union Mission in South Sudan (AUMISS).
The mission also appreciates the vital technical and financial support provided by the Office of the Special Envoy of the UN Secretary-General for the Great Lakes (OSESG-GL), GIZ, UN Women, the Women International Peace Centre, the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR), and Saferworld, underscoring the collective effort required to advance the WPS agenda.
The AU Solidarity Mission concluded by reaffirming its sustained partnership, pledging to immediately submit these outcomes and recommendations to the African Union Peace and Security Council to guide future political and technical support from the African Union and its partners.
