National Dialogue activates election mood, appeals for AU support

By Kitab Unango
The National Dialogue Steering Committee has activated election mood after it paid a courtesy call to the African Union (AU) to throw weights behind the polls expected after the end of the revitalized transitional period.
The possibility of post-election trajectory is already drawing concerns from the committee which says any occurrence of violence will drag the country back to war without support of regional and international bodies.
The National Dialogue Steering Committee, a body tasked by President Salva Kiir in finding local solutions to complement government efforts to end the nearly decade-long conflict and bring lasting peace to the country said conducting election without the oversights of the AU and the international bodies could fuel polarization in a country already fragmented along ethnic and regional lines.
“We are appealing to the African Union to please be close to the election because we are afraid of the division among us,” Angelo Beda, Co-Chair of the National Dialogue Steering Committee worriedly stressed.
“The election will not be free and fair and even if it is free and fair, people will doubt it. So if it is organized and supervise by the African Union and the United Nations, we shall get the result that can bring one man on the ground,” Beda added.
He was speaking to the press after a meeting with African Ambassadors to South Sudan on Thursday last week in Juba.
According to Chapter 1.20.4 of the R-ARCRSS, the National Election Commission, upon formation, may request support from the African Union and other international bodies.
South Sudan is expected to hold election six months before the end of revitalized transitional period, which commenced eight months after signing of the Revitalized Peace Agreement in September 2018 as provided for in the Chapter one of the R-ARCSS.
However, the peace implementation process is behind schedules with most of the critical provisions such as formation of coalition government and security arrangement yet to be fully implemented to path way for 2022 election.
A senior official of African Union Mission in South Sudan promised the organization will support South Sudan to have free and fair election at the end of the interim period.
“Yes it is true, the African Union has mechanisms for monitoring elections. South Sudan election is going to be a unique one because it is the newest country on the Continent,” Mashood Issaka, Senior Political at the AU Mission in Sudan said.
“So, we will be mobilizing all the resources that we have for support the planning until the election is conducted,” Issaka added.