Nigeria’s President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has called on the government of South Sudan to release the country’s First Vice President, Riek Machar, and other opposition figures, as African leaders renewed attention on the slow pace of South Sudan’s peace process.
The position was contained in a statement issued on Monday, February 16, 2026, signed by Stanley Nkwocha, Senior Special Assistant to Nigeria’s President on Media and Communications in the Office of Nigeria’s Vice President. Tinubu was represented by Nigeria’s Vice President, Kashim Shettima, at the African Union High-Level Ad Hoc Committee for South Sudan, also known as the C-5 Plus Summit, held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on the sidelines of the 39th African Union Assembly of Heads of State and Government.
The meeting was chaired by South Africa’s President, Cyril Ramaphosa. In the statement, Tinubu urged South Sudan’s authorities to release detained opposition leaders and also pushed for a broader reconciliation process that brings all sides to the table.
“We wish to 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.
He also stressed the need for a national dialogue and reconciliation forum, while urging parties in South Sudan to work with mediators in a constructive way. Tinubu said Nigeria and other African countries recognised South Sudanese citizens’ desire for peace, stability, and development, and he called on leaders to prioritise inclusive and transparent elections to strengthen confidence in the country’s transition.
The statement added that Tinubu raised concerns about the impact of insecurity and political tension on South Sudan’s transition plans, including security reforms and the process of drafting a constitution. It also said he highlighted Nigeria’s role in a Regional Partnership for Democracy.
Ramaphosa, according to the statement, praised African leaders for sustaining efforts to resolve the conflict, while noting that implementation of the revitalised peace agreement had been delayed, eight years after it was endorsed. Djibouti’s President, Ismail Omar Guelleh, who also chairs the Intergovernmental Authority on Development, reaffirmed the bloc’s support for peace efforts and proposed appointing a lead mediator to monitor implementation and respond to new challenges.
The statement listed other attendees, including the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Mahmoud Ali Youssouf; Ethiopia’s Prime Minister, Abiy Ahmed Ali; Algeria’s President, Abdelmadjid Tebboune; and representatives from Chad, Rwanda, and other countries.
In a separate announcement, Nigeria also pledged support for a Combined Maritime Task Force operating in the Gulf of Guinea, saying it would provide infrastructure and operational backing to strengthen maritime security and address transnational organised crime in the region.