The Office of the President has clarified the circumstances surrounding the inclusion of a deceased nominee in the recently constituted leadership body for dialogue on election-related matters under the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCSS).
In a statement issued on Monday, Amb. David Amour Majur, Press Secretary in the Office of the President, explained that Mr. Steward Sorobo Budia, whose name appeared in a Republican Order dated January 30, 2026, had been submitted by one of the R-ARCSS signatory stakeholders during a consultative nomination process aimed at ensuring inclusive and representative participation.
Amb. Majur said the Presidency conducted wide-ranging consultations with stakeholders, who were requested to submit names for consideration.
The Office of the President relied on the accuracy and timeliness of the information provided during this formal consultative phase.
“It has since become evident that a thorough verification was not conducted by one of the submitting stakeholders, resulting in this unfortunate administrative oversight,” the statement said.
He confirmed that the Office of the President is taking immediate steps to amend the Republican Order and is awaiting the resubmission of a replacement nominee from the concerned stakeholder to fill the vacancy created by the passing of Mr. Budia.
Amb. Majur conveyed the Presidency’s deepest condolences to the family of the deceased and assured the public that corrective measures are being instituted.
He said the Office will strengthen verification procedures for future nominations to ensure all stakeholder submissions meet the highest standards of accuracy and accountability.
The leadership body is mandated to facilitate dialogue among parties signatory to the R-ARCSS and other stakeholders on key election-related issues, as the country moves toward its next political milestones.
