National Parties Alliance Issues Landmark Call for ‘One Tangible Agreement’ to Salvage South Sudan’s Fragile Peace Process
Juba, South Sudan – February 24, 2026
In a bold and meticulously argued official statement released yesterday from the Holdout Opposition heartlands, the National Parties Alliance (NPA) has issued what many observers are calling a potential game-changer for South Sudan’s beleaguered peace efforts. Titled “Official Statement by the National Parties Alliance (NPA) on the Peace Process, the Upcoming Elections, and the Imperative for One Tangible Agreement in the Republic of South Sudan,” the document—issued via the Leadership Council on February 23, 2026—lays out a clear, uncompromising position: elections are welcome, but only after a single, unified, enforceable peace deal that finally addresses the root causes of the country’s decade-plus cycle of violence.
The NPA, an umbrella body representing holdout opposition parties and groups that never signed the 2018 Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan (R-ARCSS), positions itself not as obstructionists but as pragmatic guardians of genuine democracy. “We are not opposed to the conduct of national elections in our beloved country,” the statement declares. “On the contrary, we warmly welcome and actively support the holding of credible, free, fair, transparent, and inclusive elections at the earliest possible date, provided that these elections are preceded by and anchored upon One Tangible, Comprehensive, and Implementable Agreement.”
This stance comes at a critical juncture. With national elections nominally scheduled for December 2026, the transitional government faces mounting pressure from within and without. Yet the ground reality—escalating clashes in Upper Nile, Equatoria, and Bahr el Ghazal regions; the prolonged house arrest and ongoing trial of First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar Teny; millions of displaced citizens; and a collapsing economy—suggests the country is nowhere near ready for credible polls.
A Clear Red Line: No Elections Without Foundational Reforms
The NPA’s message is unequivocal. Elections without resolving the drivers of conflict “will not bring democracy; they will only deepen division, legitimize exclusion, and plunge our nation into yet another spiral of bloodshed.” Instead, the alliance demands “One Tangible Agreement that merges the strengths of the 2018 R-ARCSS and the Tumaini Initiative into a single, unified, enforceable document that no party can selectively violate or abandon.”
The statement extends “full and unwavering support” to key international actors: Kenyan President William Samoei Ruto, the East African Community (EAC), IGAD, the African Union (AU), the United Nations, the Troika (US, UK, Norway), and the C5. It praises their “tireless and noble efforts” and offers to collaborate on “One Final, All-Inclusive National Dialogue” that includes every holdout group, civil society, youth, women, religious leaders, and aggrieved parties.
Six Non-Negotiable Pillars for Credible Elections
At the heart of the document are six “non-negotiable prerequisites” that must be met before any ballot is cast:
- Insecurity and the Proliferation of Armed Groups: Large swathes of the country remain zones of active hostilities. Citizens cannot campaign or vote safely amid constant threats.
- The Absence of a Permanent Constitution: South Sudan still lacks a people-owned supreme law defining power-sharing, resource allocation, and center-state relations. Elections under the current disputed framework would lack legitimacy.
- The Lack of a Unified, Professional, and Non-Partisan National Army: Without completed security sector reform creating “One National Army” loyal to the state rather than factions or ethnic blocs, polls would occur “under the barrel of factional guns.”
- Repatriation and Reintegration of Refugees and IDPs: Over two million South Sudanese remain in exile, with millions more internally displaced. Their safe return and participation are essential for legitimacy.
- The Urgent Need for a Credible National Census: No election can proceed without an internationally supervised count to establish accurate voter registers and constituencies.
- Immediate and Unconditional Release of Dr. Riek Machar Teny and All Other Political Detainees: The statement is particularly forceful here. It demands the release of the SPLM-IO leader and others “without delay if no credible evidence exists to sustain charges against them in a fair and transparent judicial process.” Prolonged detention on “politically motivated grounds,” it argues, “undermines national reconciliation, fuels mistrust, and contradicts the spirit of inclusive dialogue.” Their freedom would be a powerful confidence-building measure.
These pillars, the NPA insists, are not optional add-ons but foundational requirements for any democratic exercise.
Declaring the 2018 R-ARCSS “Failed”
The statement does not mince words about the existing framework. Recalling the NPA’s principled decision not to sign the 2018 R-ARCSS, it quotes President Salva Kiir’s own admission during mediation: “I will sign the agreement, but it will be very difficult to implement it.” That prediction, the alliance says, has proven tragically accurate.
“Some parties to the 2018 agreement have repeatedly and flagrantly violated its core provisions,” the document charges. As a result, “fierce fighting continues to rage in the Upper Nile Region, in parts of the Equatoria Region, and across large swathes of the Bahr el Ghazal Region. Innocent civilians are dying daily. Villages are being burned. Women and children are suffering atrocities… The economy is collapsing. Hunger stalks the land.”
After “careful reflection, broad consultation… and deep prayer,” the NPA formally declares the R-ARCSS has “run its course” and “can no longer serve as the sole framework for our future.”
A Bold Proposal: One New Comprehensive Agreement
In its place, the alliance calls for immediate negotiations toward “One New, Comprehensive, Tangible, and All-Inclusive National Peace Agreement.” This new pact must:
- Seamlessly integrate positive elements of both the R-ARCSS and the Kenyan-led Tumaini Initiative.
- Contain clear, time-bound, verifiable, and enforceable benchmarks.
- Include robust monitoring, accountability, and sanctions mechanisms.
- Guarantee genuine power-sharing, equitable resource distribution, justice for past atrocities, and a credible roadmap to democracy.
- Begin with the unconditional release of political detainees.
The NPA expresses “conviction beyond any shadow of doubt” that this single agreement is “the only viable path” to ending conflict, healing wounds, and enabling the elections South Sudanese “so desperately deserve and desire.”
A Direct Appeal to the International Community
The statement closes with an urgent, humble appeal to Kenya, the EAC, C5, IGAD, AU, UN, Troika, and “all other peace-loving nations” to convene “this final round of talks without further delay.” It suggests Nairobi or another neutral venue, insists on inclusivity and transparency, and calls for guns to fall silent once the agreement is signed.
“The people of South Sudan have suffered enough,” it concludes poignantly. “Our children deserve schools, not battlefields. Our mothers deserve clinics, not refugee camps. Our youth deserve jobs and hope, not AK-47s and despair… Let this be the moment when South Sudan turns the page… One Tangible Agreement. One Final Dialogue. One United South Sudan. Then – and only then – credible elections that will truly reflect the will of our people.”
Context and Implications
The timing could hardly be more significant. South Sudan’s political transition, repeatedly extended, is fraying at the seams. The 2018 R-ARCSS brought an uneasy calm after the 2013-2018 civil war but has been plagued by slow implementation, repeated violations, and exclusion of several armed and political groups—the very groups now under the NPA umbrella.
The Tumaini Initiative, launched in 2024 under President Ruto’s mediation to bring holdouts into the fold, has faced repeated suspensions and challenges but remains the most promising vehicle for broader inclusion. By explicitly calling for a merger of the two frameworks, the NPA offers a pragmatic bridge between established structures and the demands of those left outside.
Dr. Machar’s detention since March 2025—following clashes in Nasir County, subsequent charges of treason and other serious offenses, and an ongoing closed-door trial—has become a flashpoint. Recent African Union (C5) and SPLM-IO statements have echoed calls for his release as a confidence-building step. The NPA’s demand aligns with and amplifies these voices.
On the ground, the humanitarian toll is staggering. Active hostilities, aerial bombardments, and restrictions on aid have displaced hundreds of thousands more in recent months. The economy remains in freefall, with inflation rampant and basic services nonexistent in much of the country. A credible census, constitutional process, and security sector reform have all lagged dangerously behind schedule.
A Moment of Truth for South Sudan and Its Partners
The NPA’s statement is more than rhetoric from the sidelines. As a recognized coalition of holdout and marginalized parties operating outside the main power-sharing arrangements, the alliance commands significant support in regions long neglected by Juba. Its readiness to “negotiate in good faith” and “make the necessary compromises” signals openness to a genuine breakthrough.
Whether the government, other signatories, and international mediators seize this opening remains to be seen. President Kiir’s administration has signaled determination to push toward elections, but critics argue this risks legitimizing an exclusionary status quo. Regional bodies and global partners now face a choice: continue propping up a faltering framework or invest diplomatic capital in the “One Final Dialogue” the NPA envisions.
The people of South Sudan—exhausted by conflict, displacement, and broken promises—have waited long enough. As the NPA eloquently puts it, the martyrs’ sacrifice and children’s dreams demand more than perpetual transition. They demand peace, unity, and a future built on one solid, tangible foundation.
One Tangible Agreement. One United South Sudan. The clock is ticking.
