"South Sudan not on track for December elections" - EU

JUBA, South Sudan 

The European Union’s top diplomat in South Sudan has warned that the country’s long-awaited elections may fail to take place in December this year if current political, security and technical conditions remain unchanged.

Pelle Enarson (above left), Head of Delegation of the European Union to South Sudan, said the situation on the ground does not currently allow for credible elections, citing insecurity, lack of political consensus and insufficient preparations.

“Elections cannot take place if it’s exactly like it is now,” Enarson said during a press briefing in Juba on Monday.

“From a technical point of view, it won’t be possible to have elections in December if preparations do not start immediately.”

He said that while elections are still theoretically possible, time is rapidly running out.

“At some point, the technical will take over and say we can’t, it’s just not feasible.”

The EU diplomat said the security situation makes voting impossible in some areas. Ambassador Enarson pointed to ongoing violence in parts of the country as a major obstacle to holding nationwide elections.

He said areas including Jonglei and Upper Nile remain volatile, making it impossible to safely conduct voting.

“Akobo is the prime example of why you can’t have elections. How are people going to perform elections in such a volatile situation?” he said.

He added that politically driven violence has also been reported in the Equatoria region, further complicating preparations.

The EU envoy also criticised the current political environment, saying it lacks the inclusiveness required for credible elections.

“The current government of unity is no longer a government of unity,” he said. “All parties are not equally involved in the preparations.”

He stressed that any electoral process must involve all political actors and be based on consensus.

“There needs to be a political deal among all the parties on how these elections are going to be conducted.”

Beyond security and politics, Enarson highlighted significant technical shortcomings, including the absence of key institutional structures.

“There is no legal department yet in the National Election Commission. So how are they going to conduct elections when there is no mechanism for dispute resolution?” he asked.

He also said government financing would be critical for credible polls.

“It cannot be the international community that takes this responsibility. The government must show it is willing to finance elections in a substantial way.”

While warning that the December timeline is increasingly unrealistic, Enarson suggested a short technical extension of the transition period could be considered if agreed politically.

“One smart solution is to have a very short technical extension, instead of December, you can have elections in March,” he said.

“But not a two-year or three-year extension.”

Despite the concerns, the EU said it would continue supporting South Sudan across multiple sectors, including agriculture, education, health, infrastructure and peacebuilding.

Enarson said the bloc’s priority remained full implementation of the 2018 peace agreement and support for the population.