Prosper Okoye
President Bola Tinubu has called for the immediate and unconditional release of South Sudan’s First Vice-President, Riek Machar, as part of efforts to revive the country’s stalled peace process.
In a message delivered by Vice-President Kashim Shettima, Mr Tinubu said Nigeria remained committed to the swift implementation of South Sudan’s revitalised peace agreement and urged all parties to return to dialogue.
He was speaking at the African Union’s High-Level Ad Hoc Committee on South Sudan, known as the C-5 Plus, which met on the sidelines of the AU summit in Addis Ababa. The meeting was chaired by South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa.
Join our WhatsApp Channel“We specifically call on the government to consider the immediate and unconditional release from detention of the vice-president and other key opposition figures,” Tinubu said in the statement. “It is also imperative to convene an all-inclusive national dialogue and reconciliation forum.”
He added that Nigeria stood with other African countries in supporting the South Sudanese people’s desire for peace, stability and development, and urged political leaders in the country to engage constructively in mediation efforts.
Tinubu also stressed the importance of national unity and elite consensus, calling for inclusive and transparent elections as “the only way to build trust and confidence in the country’s future and leadership”.
Earlier, President Ramaphosa acknowledged delays in implementing the peace agreement, eight years after it was signed, but said African leaders remained determined to find a lasting solution.
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The chairman of the regional bloc IGAD, Ismail Omar Guelleh, also reaffirmed the group’s commitment to peace in South Sudan and proposed the appointment of a lead mediator to monitor progress and deal with emerging challenges.
The meeting was attended by several African leaders, including Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and Algeria’s President Abdelmadjid Tebboune.
Separately, Tinubu said Nigeria would provide logistical and operational support to the Combined Maritime Task Force in the Gulf of Guinea, including office facilities, ships, helicopters and personnel, to help combat organised crime and improve maritime security in the region.
Prosper Okoye is a Correspondent and Research Writer at Prime Business Africa, a Nigerian journalist with experience in development reporting, public affairs, and policy-focused storytelling across Africa
