Monday 31st March, 2025 04:50 PM|

Days after Kenya’s special envoy to South Sudan, Raila Odinga, revealed that he was denied a chance to meet South Sudan’s First Vice President, Riek Machar, who is under house arrest, the African Union Commission (AUC) chairperson, Mahmoud Youssouf Ali, has vowed to deploy a high-level panel to help de-escalate the situation.

In a statement on Monday, March 31, 2025, Mahmoud confirmed his talks with President Salva Kiir, which he described as cordial, direct talks.

In their engagement, Mahmoud informed President Salva Kiir on the importance of embracing dialogue to help avert any conflict in the young nation.

To enhance the ongoing mediation, Mahmoud promised to dispatch a panel to South Sudan. He, however, did not immediately reveal those picked to help strike a peace deal in South Sudan.

“To enhance mediation efforts and support the full implementation of the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCSS), the Chairperson is dispatching a high-level delegation of the AU Panel of the Wise to Juba to engage with all the stakeholders to de-escalate tensions and promote dialogue,” the statement shared by the African Union read in part.

“The AU calls on all parties to uphold all the provisions of R-ARCSS and ensure its full implementation,” it added.

“The AU remains actively engaged with regional and international partners, including IGAD, the EAC, and the United Nations, to support South Sudan’s transition to durable peace and democracy.”

The latest intervention comes after Raila landed back in Nairobi after meeting Kiir in South Sudan. Addressing the press on Saturday, March 29, 2025, Raila revealed that he was denied a chance to meet Riek Machar, who is under house arrest.

Raila noted that South Sudan informed him that investigations were underway over the killing of the general and thus directed him to meet Uganda’s President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni.

“I had a lengthy discussion with President Kiir, who told me that there was a killing of a general and over ten other people in the town of Nassir in the upper Nile, and this is what they are investigating. Because of this, he said that Vice President Riek Machar had been put under house arrest as they continue with their investigations,” Raila stated.

“I asked to be allowed to talk to Machar, but they could not allow me to see him, and they recommended that I meet with President Museveni. From Juba, I went to Entebbe and had a meeting with Museveni and reported to him what I had found in South Sudan, and after a lengthy discussion, he said he was going to talk to President Kiir. We agreed that I would go back to Juba later,” he revealed.

He flew out after President William Ruto picked him as Kenya’s Special Envoy to South Sudan.