Preparations are progressing through technical committees tasked with shaping the framework for an inter-party dialogue ahead of the country’s 2026 general elections, a senior official said on Thursday.
Dr. Martin Elia Lomuro, Cabinet Affairs Minister and rapporteur of the Multi-Party Steering Committee, said key preparatory instruments had been completed to guide the process, including a work plan, concept note and methodology document.
“In the last few weeks we have been doing a lot of work behind the scenes and now we have confirmed a number of things,” Lomuro said. “We have produced the work plan for the Inter-Party Dialogue, a concept note and a methodology document that will guide us towards the election.”
He said five technical committees had been established to develop detailed proposals on core areas of the electoral process, including legal and constitutional affairs, governance, electoral and institutional preparedness, stakeholder engagement, and security and civic space.
“We have formed technical groups, five technical committees, that are charged with the responsibility to address particular areas that need to be dialogued upon,” he said.
“These committees have done a lot of work now and they are working every day to produce the first recommendations for areas that will be on dialogue.”
Lomuro, a close ally of President Kiir, said the technical work was intended to ensure that the upcoming inter-party dialogue is grounded in structured preparatory analysis.
“We are carrying our responsibilities and the inter-party steering body is working very hard and closely with the five technical committees,” he said.
He added that the committees would feed into a formal national dialogue once launched.
“In the next few weeks you will hear updates on how we have progressed in each of the committees,” Lomuro said.
The Multi-Party Steering Committee, established in February 2026 by President Salva Kiir Mayardit, is overseeing preparations for the dialogue process and broader electoral roadmap.
The body is chaired by presidential adviser Tut Gatluak, with SPLM-IO faction leader Stephen Par Kuol as co-chair and Akol Paul Kordit as deputy co-chair. Dr. Lomuro serves as rapporteur.
Lomuro said a launch date for the inter-party dialogue has been proposed, with invitations expected to be extended to political parties and key stakeholders for a formal opening in Juba.
He said the process would culminate in a consolidated framework to guide the post-election period.
“At the end of the dialogue we will produce a blueprint or a book that will guide us across the period post-elections,” he said.
The preparatory phase comes as South Sudan moves toward elections scheduled for December 2026, though questions remain over political consensus and institutional readiness.
Uncertainty persists over the participation of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-in-Opposition (SPLM-IO), led by First Vice President Riek Machar, and holdout opposition groups, amid tensions surrounding the implementation of the 2018 peace agreement.
The National Elections Commission has set December 22, 2026, as the date for the country’s first general election since independence, while warning that legal gaps and funding constraints could affect preparations.
Kiir’s camp says the process remains on track, while the main opposition group and foreign envoys argue that key provisions of the peace deal have yet to be fully implemented to ensure credible and peaceful elections.
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