South Sudan on the brink? Power, peace and elections

South Sudan faces rising militarisation and contested elections – practical pathways to a lasting peace are urgently needed.

Date: 2026-05-13

Time: 08:00 to 01:00

Venue: Radisson Blu Hotel, Nairobi, Kenya and online via Zoom

The implementation of peace agreements in South Sudan has been slow and uneven, militarisation is increasing, elections are impending, and there is a risk of full-blown conflict.

This seminar provides a platform to critically assess the current peace and security landscape, evaluate the implementation of the peace agreements, and generate practical policy options to prevent a relapse into large-scale conflict.

Moderator: Dr Kizito Sabala, Senior Fellow, Institute for Research and Policy Integration in Africa, Nairobi, Kenya

Keynote speaker: Amb (Eng) Mahboub M Maalim, CBS, OGW, Chairman Equalization Fund Advisory Board, Former Executive Secretary General IGAD (2008 – 2019)

Session 1: Peace Agreements, political fragmentation and institutional capacity

Structural and political barriers to the implementation of the R-ARCSA

Speaker: Beny Gideon Mabor, Senior Research Fellow, African Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue

Tumaini Initiative and inclusion of hold-out groups

Speaker: Dr James Okuk, Senior Research Fellow, South Sudan Centre for Strategic and Policy Studies

Session 2: Institutional and political barriers to elections

Risks associated with delayed or contested elections

Speaker: Edmund Yakani, Executive Director, Community Empowerment for Progress Organization, South Sudan

Scenario mapping

Speaker: Moses Okello, Senior Researcher, Institute for Security Studies