By Sabri Dibaco
The United Nations has commended South Sudan’s National Elections Commission (NEC) for launching its nationwide Civic and Voter Education Campaign.
The UN described the initiative as a significant milestone toward the country’s first general elections since gaining independence.
Speaking at the launch on behalf of the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General, Darren Nance congratulated the National Elections Commission and reaffirmed the UN’s
He praised the National Elections Commission for officially launching the civic and voter education campaign, noting that it followed weeks of public outreach activities, including a civic education caravan across Juba that engaged civil society organisations, the media, government institutions, security agencies, political parties, and members of the public.
Quoting one of the NEC commissioners, Nance underscored the importance of voter awareness in building public confidence in the electoral process.
“A credible election begins with informed and engaged citizens,” he said.
The UN official said the upcoming elections present an opportunity for South Sudanese to strengthen national unity, drawing parallels with the solidarity demonstrated during the independence referendum.
“While South Sudan is now an independent nation, we encourage everyone to participate in a unified manner and work together to ensure elections are inclusive, transparent, credible, and peaceful,” he said.
Nance also echoed the National Elections Commission’s civic education messages, emphasising that dialogue should prevail over conflict as the country prepares for elections.
“Dialogue is better than war,” he said, urging citizens to embrace peaceful participation and build trust in the electoral process.
He stressed that public confidence in the elections will depend on an agreed legal and political framework developed through inclusive dialogue among all stakeholders.
“To build confidence in the process, there must be legal and political decisions reached through an inclusive dialogue. These decisions provide the solid foundation on which the Elections Commission can conduct credible elections,” he said.
Nance further called for adequate financial support to enable the National Elections Commission to implement its electoral activities effectively and on schedule.
He emphasised that successful elections require the active participation of the government, political parties, civil society organisations, the media, and citizens, noting that civil society has a particularly important role in civic and voter education, election observation, public awareness, and promoting accountability.
The UN representative urged political parties and citizens to participate peacefully and help create an environment conducive to free and credible elections.
Concluding his remarks, Nance reaffirmed the commitment of the United Nations and the wider international community to supporting South Sudan’s democratic transition.
“The United Nations, together with the international community, stands ready to support an inclusive, credible and, most importantly, peaceful electoral process. Congratulations once again to the National Elections Commission on this important milestone,” he said.