South Sudanese citizens pushing for dialogue as the only way to resolve the deeply-rooted conflict in their country. |Courtesy: Gettyimages|.
United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), in collaboration with the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Development, equipped over 50 prosecutors and police investigators with the necessary skills to detect, prevent, and respond to electoral offenses, which is crucial to maintaining public confidence in the electoral process.
In September this year, South Sudan’s parties to the 2018 peace agreement extended the transitional period by another two years and postponed elections to December 2026 over concerns that the permanent constitution-making process and other crucial pre-election tasks were not implemented at a specified time.
The decision to postpone the election and extend the lifespan of the transitional government of national unity came in a meeting attended by President Salva Kiir and his five deputies, cabinet members, and advisors in the capital, Juba.
Despite the postponement of the elections, UNMISS intensified capacity building of the key stakeholders drawn from Western Bahr El Ghazal, Northern Bahr El Ghazal, Warrap, and Lakes to strengthen their knowledge of the electoral framework and to provide their technical inputs into responses from the justice system to counter electoral offenses and deter situations of possible electoral violence jeopardizing the integrity of the electoral process.
The workshop titled ‘Electoral Legal Framework: The Role of Prosecutors and Police Investigators in Preventing and Addressing Electoral Offenses’ was held from 20-21 November in Wau.
The workshop was conducted under the auspices of the senior leadership of the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs (MoJCA) in consultation with the National Police Service (NPS) and with support from the United Nations Integrated Electoral Assistance Team (IEAT).
It aimed to build the capacity of relevant institutions and offer recommendations for how they should respond to potential violations of election rules.
Undersecretary of MoJCA, Dr. Gabriel Isaac Awow, stated that ensuring the integrity of elections in South Sudan is a cornerstone of our democracy.
An effective and trusted justice system is crucial from the start of the electoral process to reduce the risk of disputes turning violent.
Prosecutors and police investigators, as key players in the justice system, have a major role in preventing and handling electoral offenses.
“This workshop is vital to strengthen the rule of law in the electoral process, which directly aligns with the UNMISS mandate to support the establishment of an enabling environment for free, fair, and peaceful elections in South Sudan. By equipping prosecutors and police investigators with the tools and knowledge to do their jobs effectively, we are helping to create a more credible electoral system, which is crucial for sustaining democratic governance and long-term peace,” said the Head of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan’s Wau Field Office, Sam Muhumure.
