South Sudan's president orders strengthening preparations for December elections

Written by Ziad Abdel Fattah:

The President of the Republic of South Sudan and the President Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM), First Lieutenant General Salva Kiir Mayardit, the movement’s leaders in the states and administrative regions to intensify efforts to promote peace, consolidate security and create a favorable environment for holding the general elections scheduled for December 2026.

The president’s directives came on Friday during a meeting he held with the heads of the popular movement in the states and administrative regions, in the presence of the movement’s secretary-general, Dr. Akol Paul Kordit.

President Salva Kiir called on party leaders to work closely with local communities to maintain peace and promote national unity, and to support local authorities in providing a safe environment that ensures all citizens can participate freely and safely in the electoral process, thus contributing to the organization of peaceful and credible elections.

He stressed that consolidating stability and peace is a fundamental pillar for the success of the electoral process, emphasizing the importance of the movement’s leaders playing their role in strengthening social cohesion and supporting the state’s efforts during the next stage.

In another context, the South Sudanese government discussed ways to enhance support for its citizens residing in the Arab Republic of Egypt, in light of the humanitarian and economic challenges facing a segment of the community, especially those who were forced to go to Egypt due to the repercussions of the war in Sudan.

This came during a meeting between the South Sudanese Ambassador to Egypt, Kual Nyok Kual Arop, and the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management, Albino Akol Atak, where the two sides reviewed the situation of South Sudanese citizens residing in Egypt, and discussed mechanisms to enhance consular protection and develop the government’s response to their needs.

Ambassador Kual Nyok Kual Arop explained that the embassy is continuously monitoring issues affecting members of the community, noting that the most prominent challenges include cases of detention and deportation, difficulty in obtaining job opportunities, in addition to the humanitarian conditions faced by citizens who arrived in Egypt fleeing the ongoing conflict in Sudan.

The Ambassador also briefed the Embassy on its efforts to register citizens wishing to voluntarily return to South Sudan, in coordination with the International Organization for Migration (IOM), with the aim of expanding the voluntary humanitarian return program and increasing the number of beneficiaries, in order to ensure a safe, organized and dignified return for those who wish to do so.