By Deng Machol
ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia — Salva Kiir arrived in Addis Ababa on Friday to attend the 39th Ordinary Session of the African Union Assembly, as South Sudan seeks renewed regional backing amid stalled implementation of its fragile peace deal and mounting security pressures at home.
Kiir was received at Bole International Airport by Ethiopia’s Minister of Mines, Habtamu Tegegn, and South Sudan’s Ambassador to Ethiopia, Baak Valentino Wol, signaling the diplomatic weight attached to Juba’s participation in the high-level continental gathering.
The summit, hosted at AU headquarters in Addis Ababa, is centered on sustainable water management and sanitation under Africa’s long-term development blueprint, African Union Agenda 2063. However, South Sudan’s protracted political transition is expected to dominate sidelines diplomacy as regional leaders assess the future of the country’s 2018 peace agreement.
According to the presidency, Kiir is accompanied by a senior delegation and is scheduled to hold bilateral meetings with fellow heads of state. The discussions are likely to focus on breaking the political deadlock in Juba, stabilizing the security environment, and accelerating preparations for long-delayed national elections.
Kiir is also expected to participate in consultations of the AU’s C5 Committee, chaired by Cyril Ramaphosa. The committee serves as a key group of regional guarantors overseeing South Sudan’s 2018 Revitalised Peace Agreement and has been instrumental in mobilizing diplomatic and financial support for its implementation.
The Addis Ababa meetings come at a critical juncture for South Sudan, where delays in security sector reforms, electoral preparations, and constitutional processes have drawn increasing scrutiny from international partners. For Kiir, the AU summit presents both a diplomatic test and an opportunity to shore up continental support as his government faces growing calls to deliver on its peace commitments.
