South Sudanese Civil society has called on the government and parties involved in peace agreement to double efforts in ending the ongoing violent to avoid another extension come 2026.
Executive Director of the Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO), Edmund Yakani urged the government to double efforts in handling the violent in Upper Nile state and some other parts of the country.
The Activist concern came at the time of armed confrontations between South Sudan Peoples Defense forces (SSPDF) and the Sudan People Liberation Army in Opposition (SPLA-IO).
In addition, the SSPDF has also been in clashes with the SPLA-IO backed white Army.
Yakani expressed that some of the crucial tasks such as unification of forces continue to pend while authorities are engaging in conflict, a move that threaten the upcoming election.
“This new confrontation is eating up the timeline for meeting requirement the conduction of election, is causing damages to the conduct of election for December 2026 which the dateline for implementation of core tasks is October 2025” Yakani said.
“I would like to take this opportunity to remind our leaders as the country is planning to hold election in December 2026 the dateline for creating a condition for conduction election for December 2026 is October 2025” he added
The activist urged the leaders to focus and avoid using violent later to get support for extension come 2026.
“We are saying any extension of transitional period is notaccepted, So there are two possible scenarios if there is no election in 2026, the mandate of the government come toan end and interim government should be develop or if you want to go for election then stop the ongoing violent in some part of the country now” he explained.
Yakani appealed to the leaders and parties in conflict to cease violent adding that it threats the upcoming election which is end game for the 2018 peace agreement.
“If this violent that start recently continue up to the month of May or until the end of June 2025, we are worried that the country may not be ready in creating a good condition for the election as expected in December in 2026” he reiterated.
“The good enough condition start with the unification of forces by October 2025 could be done. Constitution, Decision on population census, voter registration, population etc” he added.
Yakani expressed that by this time parties could have been serious engage in implementing the remaining tasks however they continue to be engaged in armed confrontations.
“Now we are heading to the month of May and we are seeing pocket of armed deadly violent is going on between white Army and SSPDF and some location with SSPDF, all of this is causing a serious damage and injuries on creating good conducive environment for election” he said
Yakani condemned the ongoing fighting in Upper Nile state and urged the partis in conflict to cease.
The UN Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan has sounded the alarm over the country’s rapidly escalating crisis, calling for urgent, coordinated action to protect civilians and preserve the Revitalized Peace Agreement, the cornerstone of South Sudan’s fragile stability.
