<p>The Khartoum Declaration of Agreement signed in June 2018 was an important step that led to the 12 September peace agreement on South Sudan. The UK, along with our Troika partners (the USA and Norway), welcomed this step and commended the role of the region and individual leaders in bringing parties of the conflict together to help secure an end to conflict. Whilst the most effective model for negotiating peace agreements will inevitably vary depending on the circumstances, in this case among many factors the region's efforts were important to progress: lessons should be considered and applied wherever possible elsewhere. It is also essential to recognise that any agreement is part of a process and a platform on which longer-term stability can be built.</p>