South Sudan’s Vice President Josephine Lagu assured the United Nations General Assembly on Thursday that the country’s fragile 2018 peace accord remains intact, even as implementation lags and opposition leader Riek Machar faces trial.
Lagu, who represents the South Sudan Opposition Alliance in the transitional government, admitted progress has been “slower than we would have wanted” but stressed that the peace deal has endured for seven years.
“The implementation of the peace agreement is about 60% executed,” she said. “The government has renewed its political will and is accelerating key benchmarks.”
The Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCSS) ended a brutal civil war that left nearly 400,000 people dead. It created a power-sharing government tasked with unifying rival armed forces, drafting a permanent constitution, and holding elections in December 2026.
Machar’s arrest on treason, murder, and crimes against humanity charges has cast doubt on the peace process. Officials accuse him of involvement in a March militia attack that killed more than 250 soldiers, but his supporters call the case politically motivated. Lagu insisted the detention “was not politically motivated” and promised a fair trial.
Despite these strains, Lagu cited progress in deploying unified security forces and establishing election bodies. She urged international partners to lift arms embargoes and sanctions, and to provide greater support ahead of 2026 polls.
She also disclosed that Juba is considering resuming the Tumaini Initiative peace talks with holdout groups, though Kenya-led negotiations were declared defunct earlier this year.
Beyond peace and security, Lagu highlighted climate challenges, pledging to plant 100 million trees by 2030, and noted that primary school enrollment has jumped from 300,000 to 2.1 million children.
“The transitional period must end with general elections,” she concluded. “For the first time, South Sudanese will be able to freely elect their leaders.”
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