The Civil society organizations in South Sudan have called for immediate political dialogue to create a conducive environment for the country’s first fair, free, and credible elections.
The call was made during a one-day dialogue held in Juba on Thursday which brought together over 60 participants from various regions, including representatives from each state, GPAA, Ruweng, Yei, and faith-based organizations.
The participants urged the government to guarantee security, open political space, and engage all political parties and churches in dialogue.
They stressed the need for leaders to reconcile and forgive each other to ensure a peaceful electoral process.
“The leaders must dialogue among themselves and engage in fixing the country, and they must reconcile and forgive each other.
Our leaders must show the political will, and we need to see civic space for us to believe that we will surely have free, fair, and credible elections in the country,” Charles Onen, the CSO representative, said.
The dialogue was attended by South Sudan’s National Electoral Commission as well as representatives from UNMISS and other partners.
The conversation aimed at providing the NEC and civil society representatives with an opportunity to discuss considerations and strategies to address challenges to credible elections.
The participants highlighted the importance of an informed and engaged civil society to advocate for critical progress and actions necessary for election preparations.
The call for dialogue comes amid concerns about the country’s readiness for elections, with civil society groups warning that the current political situation may hinder the timely conduct of elections.
The dialogue underscored the urgency of addressing these challenges to ensure a credible electoral process.
