The African Union’s Representative for the Horn of Africa, Jakaya Kikwete, has called on the United Nations Security Council to support security reforms and inclusive political dialogue in South Sudan ahead of elections scheduled for December 22, 2026.

Addressing the Security Council yesterday, Kikwete warned that holding elections without adequate security arrangements and political consensus could undermine the fragile 2018 peace agreement and push the country back into widespread conflict.

South Sudan, which gained independence from Sudan in 2011, has repeatedly postponed elections amid ongoing political and security challenges.

Lulu Gaboo spoke to Dr Alexander Rusero, Executive Director at the Professor Rukudzo Joseph Murapa Institute of Peace, Leadership and Governance.