The European Union’s ambassador to South Sudan, Pelle Enarsson, on Wednesday met with the secretary-general of the ruling SPLM party, Akol Paul Kordit, at the party’s secretariat in Juba, calling for an inclusive, cross-party dialogue ahead of the country’s planned elections.
As a major donor, the European Union (EU) provides financial and technical support to South Sudan aimed at strengthening democratic institutions, supporting peace implementation and improving governance.
Speaking to the media after the meeting, Ambassador Enarsson said the discussions focused on the importance of democracy and the need for broad political participation in the electoral process.
“We discussed a lot about the need for very inclusive cross-party dialogue in an electoral process,” Enarsson said. “We talked about the importance of democracy, how an elected parliament could have the legitimacy of the people, and how an all-inclusive discussion among all the parties of South Sudan is important in that regard.”
He stressed that an inclusive dialogue involving all political parties in the country is essential to ensuring a credible and democratic election.
The meeting came a day after the SPLM held a joint meeting of its caucuses, signaling the party’s intention to move forward with elections and to endorse legislation related to the electoral process.
That meeting brought together senior party officials and members to discuss political and legislative priorities aimed at strengthening party unity and preparing for the upcoming polls.
Last month, South Sudan’s presidency and cabinet approved amendments to key provisions of the 2018 peace agreement, delinking the December 2026 elections from the permanent constitution-making process, a national census and other institutional reforms.
The peace deal, signed by President Salva Kiir, opposition leader Riek Machar and other political leaders, has faced repeated delays, including missed election deadlines.
Elections have been postponed several times and are now scheduled for December 2026, despite objections from Machar loyalists, who say presidency-led consultations excluded them.
Machar, the leader of the SPLM/A-IO and a key signatory to the peace agreement, has been detained since March 2025. He is facing treason charges in a special court in Juba over his alleged role in violence in Nasir County, Upper Nile State, in March last year.