African Union High Representative Jakaya Kikwete meets with South Sudanese opposition leaders in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, to discuss paths toward democratic transition and stability. Pictured alongside the envoy are Pagan Amum, Gen. Oyai Deng Ajak, Gen. Buay Rolnyang, Gabriel Changson, and Crino Inteng during the consultations held from May 21–22, 2026. (Photo: PCCA)

Exiled opposition leaders welcomed the initiative of former Tanzanian President Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete, the African Union High Representative for the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea, following meetings in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

A statement from the People’s Coalition for Civil Action (PCCA), a South Sudanese nonviolent, pro-democracy civil rights movement, confirmed that Kikwete convened the consultations from May 21–22, 2026. A PCCA delegation led by Governor Kuel Aguer Kuel and Rajab Mohandis participated in the sessions alongside other opposition leaders to discuss pathways toward peace and transition management.

The sessions brought together prominent South Sudanese political and military figures to discuss transitions toward peace and democratic governance.

Among the attendees pictured at the summit were Pagan Amum from the United People’s Alliance (UPA), Gen. Oyai Deng Ajak (UPA), Gen. Buay Rolnyang (UPA), Gabriel Changson of the People’s Resistance Front (PRF), and Crino Inteng (UPA). Other leaders who met with the AU envoy include Thomas Cirillo of the National Salvation Front (NAS) and Gatluak Gabriel of the SPLM-IO.

Since his appointment on March 25, 2026, by African Union Commission Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, Kikwete has held extensive consultations with regional heads of state in Uganda and Kenya, leaders of the African Union C5, and political and civic actors in Juba.

During the two-day session in Dar es Salaam, Kikwete held consecutive meetings with representatives from several key opposition groups, including the People’s Coalition for Civil Action (PCCA), United People’s Alliance (UPA), Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army in Opposition (SPLM/A-IO), People’s Resistance Front (PRF) led by Gabriel Changson Chang, South Sudan Opposition Movement Alliance (SSOMA).

According to the PCCA, these engagements represent an approach to address the implementation failures of the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan (R-ARCSS). The coalition stated that the initiative arrives as South Sudan faces armed violence, economic contraction, humanitarian emergencies, and political uncertainty.

The PCCA reiterated its position that the path toward stability relies on implementing the resolutions of the South Sudan National Dialogue. The coalition urged South Sudanese leaders, civil society organizations, faith-based institutions, women’s groups, youth movements, the business community, and the diaspora to engage in the process without preconditions.

The coalition reaffirmed its commitment to a negotiated transition and stated its readiness to work alongside the African Union, regional entities, and international partners to achieve stability and governance reforms.