The European Union Ambassador to South Sudan, Per Enar Enarsson, has expressed concerns about the country's preparedness to hold elections in December. With the polls scheduled for December 22, 2026, Ambassador Enarsson warned that it will be an incredible challenge to pull off free and fair elections within the remaining three months. He emphasized that the government must accelerate preparations and provide necessary resources and technical capacity to ensure a successful electoral process.
South Sudan's parliament recently passed legislation related to the electoral process, which has raised hopes that the country can move forward with the polls. However, Ambassador Enarsson noted that it is still too early to make a final assessment of the country's preparedness. He pointed to upcoming political and technical processes that will provide a clearer picture of the readiness of the elections. The ambassador highlighted the importance of the inter-party dialogue, which is scheduled to take place on Thursday.
The inter-party dialogue will be crucial in determining the level of political preparedness and whether political parties can build a broader coalition around the electoral process. Ambassador Enarsson expressed disappointment that the dialogue did not begin earlier, noting that the body responsible for the process was constituted in January. He also mentioned that an upcoming African Union heads-of-state meeting will discuss South Sudan's electoral readiness with the C5 and other leaders.
A technical monitoring mission will assess preparations for the elections and provide additional information. Ambassador Enarsson said that the EU has not yet visited National Election Commission offices in the states, making it difficult to independently determine the extent of preparations across the country. However, he noted that information from some technical experts indicated that preparations have been slow.
Despite the concerns, Ambassador Enarsson believes that the December elections can still take place if the government takes urgent measures. He identified adequate government funding, technical expertise, increased capacity, full voter registration, and the training of election officials as key requirements. The EU envoy emphasized that the government should take the lead by allocating resources for the elections.
The European Union currently has no dedicated funding available to support South Sudan's elections. Ambassador Enarsson explained that the EU has not seen a clear appeal or budget outlining the resources required for the electoral process. He added that if the government, together with the African Union, identifies the gaps and presents an appeal to the international community, the EU could then assess whether it can provide support.
The credibility and inclusivity of the electoral process will be important considerations for the EU as South Sudan moves toward the scheduled elections. The ambassador's comments come as attention increasingly turns to whether the remaining preparations can be completed within the limited period before polling day. South Sudan has been preparing for elections as part of efforts to move from the transitional political arrangement toward an elected government.
Key points
- The EU Ambassador warns that South Sudan faces an incredible challenge to conduct free and fair elections in December.
- The inter-party dialogue and African Union engagement will be crucial in determining the country's preparedness for the elections.
- The EU has no dedicated funding available to support South Sudan's elections, but may provide support if the government presents a clear appeal or budget.
