The Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of UNMISS, Nicholas Haysom, said on Tuesday that the National Electoral Commission (NEC) was committed to developing a clear timetable for electoral operations that will enable them to organize credible elections. here December 2026.

The UNMISS chief, speaking to the press via UN Radio Miraya, also said that during his public address in October, there was real public weariness with the fourth extension of the period transition since the independence of South Sudan.

“At the time, all stakeholders stressed the need for a realistic election timetable to instill confidence that the country was going to make it to the very last extension. Today, I am pleased to inform you that last week, the National Electoral Commission (NEC), following a three-day planning retreat facilitated by the Integrated Electoral Assistance Team of the The UN is committed to developing a clear timetable for electoral operations. this will allow them to hold credible elections by December 2026,” he said. “This detailed timetable will define not only the political decisions necessary for the CEN to fulfill its responsibilities, but also the legal, financial and technical requirements to fully implement the elections on time. »

According to Haysom, the NEC stressed the need to immediately begin preparations for voter registration.

“This logistically heavy exercise underlies the entire concept of democratic elections. It’s simple: if you are not registered to vote, you will not have a say in shaping the future of your country. The NEC therefore unequivocally stated that key policy, operational and resource decisions related to voter registration and elections must be made as early as possible so that the actual process of voter registration and election preparation can start,” he said. “In our view, full voter registration creates space for all citizens – including the most vulnerable, but also all ethnic and other communities – to come together in the common enterprise of building a better future. This is the springboard on which South Sudanese can launch a nation-building movement in the first elections.”

“A strong legal framework promotes fairness and trust and is directly linked to elections considered legitimate, free and fair by the people of South Sudan,” he stressed.

Haysom stressed that elections that do not command public confidence could be catastrophic for the country, or even send it back into conflict.

The UNMISS chief said the UN would continue to provide assistance to the NEC, not only through programmatic activities, but also through physical investments in the form of infrastructure support for the Commission within 10 States, that is, the construction of offices and offices. spaces to allow them to function.

He also revealed that UNMISS has redoubled political engagements at national and subnational levels to sensitize political actors, civil society, security personnel, justice actors, community and religious leaders, women and youth about their roles and responsibilities in political processes, especially since the burden of monitoring and observing the elections will largely fall on the South Sudanese themselves.

“Today, on Human Rights Day, I pledge to continue leading initiatives to strengthen civic and political space by enabling dialogues at all levels on what a democratic society means for the South -Sudanese and how they can collectively contribute to it. An election cannot take place in an environment where people do not have the freedom to have these conversations, where a plurality of views and opinions is not encouraged. The expansion of civic and political space is therefore not an empty slogan. It is the foundation of a free, fair, credible and inclusive electoral process,” Haysom said. “Speaking of inclusion, at the national level, I have had the privilege of witnessing frank and constructive exchanges between the youth wings of political parties. It was impressive to see young people overcoming their political divisions and demanding that the youth voice be heard as one collective voice.

He added: “And since this event, I have seen these same young leaders engage at the national level, seeking to ensure that South Sudanese youth are able to express their interests for a better future. For me, this is a strong sign of a more sustainable political environment, which must be encouraged.”

Haysom urged the government to release funds for technical bodies so that these deliberations can begin and citizens have the opportunity to define what being South Sudanese means to them.

He also commended parties to the Revitalized Peace Accord and non-signatory groups for resuming the Tumaini talks in Nairobi.

He said he was happy to see progress in Juba on judicial reforms, a key objective contained in the Peace Agreement.

“The final report of the Judicial Reforms Committee is now in the hands of the government for implementation. This report presents the main recommendations intended to improve access to justice and contribute to safeguarding the rights of all citizens,” he said. “What we are doing to improve access to justice is deploying mobile courts and general courts martial to hard-to-reach areas. We are undertaking this in collaboration with the South Sudan judiciary, the SSPDF Directorate of Military Justice, the government and our partners.

The UNMISS chief also commended the Strategic Defense and Review Council for organizing the recent conference on national security sector reform.

“The objective of the workshop was to conduct a public review and validation of three important strategic documents, namely the White Paper on Defense and Security; the revised defense policy; and security policy framework,” Haysom said. “The next steps include consolidating the presented documents and submitting them to the President and Vice President, then to the Council of Ministers and finally to Parliament.”

“Furthermore, there is an urgent need to clarify responsibilities regarding election security. Confidence in the role of security forces during elections and in the security environment itself is integral to the trust and integrity of the electoral process,” he added.

Haysom stressed that there is no shortcut between war and peace, but he expressed confidence that with decisive actions, a unified approach and moral courage, peace is not only possible but inevitable. .