In a significant intervention in East African diplomacy, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has called for the immediate and unconditional release of South Sudan’s First Vice President, Riek Machar, and other detained opposition figures.
Speaking through Vice President Kashim Shettima at the African Union (AU) High-Level Ad Hoc Committee in Addis Ababa, Tinubu emphasized that political freedom and elite consensus are the only viable pathways to ending the country’s protracted conflict and achieving the goals of the revitalized peace agreement.
The President’s appeal was a focal point of the C-5 Plus Summit, held on the margins of the 39th Ordinary Session of the AU Assembly.
President Tinubu argued that South Sudan cannot continue on its current trajectory of political tension and insecurity, which has stalled critical constitutional drafting and security sector reforms.
He underscored that Nigeria’s doctrinal commitment to South Sudan is rooted in the belief that lasting stability can only be built through an all-inclusive national dialogue and reconciliation forum where all parties engage without preconditions.
Beyond the call for prisoner release, the Nigerian leader urged South Sudanese stakeholders to prioritize the conduct of inclusive and transparent national elections.
He maintained that a credible democratic process is the ultimate tool for building trust in the country’s future leadership.
Highlighting Nigeria’s proactive role, Tinubu pointed to the recently launched Regional Partnership for Democracy as a strategic contribution toward resolving conflicts within the region.
The summit, chaired by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, also saw Nigeria pledging substantial operational support to continental security.
As the designated host of the headquarters for the Combined Maritime Task Force in the Gulf of Guinea, Nigeria committed to providing office infrastructure, ships, helicopters, and temporary personnel to combat transnational organized crime.
