South Sudan requires over $440m to conduct 2026 elections: official

September 19, 2024 (JUBA) – The government of South Sudan requires more than $440 million to conduct the country’s general elections earmarked for December 2026, an official disclosed.

This was revealed by the Cabinet Affairs Minister, Martin Elia Lomuro at an extraordinary meeting of the Reconstituted Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (RJMEC) on Wednesday.

He said the South Sudanese parties to the 2018 peace agreement accepted to fund the elections.

Lomuro downplayed the alarming budget for the 2026 polls, saying the High-Level Standing Committee will continue to engage these institutions to reduce the figure to an affordable amount.

The minister said all the money channeled for election purposes would be properly accounted for.

“We will implement strict and prompt accountability measures on dealing with finances and are confident we can approach the community to provide assistance for positive response,” he stressed.

According to the minister, some money has been provided to the Political Parties Council, National Security Commission while the Bureau of Statistics requires $100 million to conduct the census.

He also said the Political Parties Council has received $5 million of the over $33 million required.

Last week, parties to the peace agreement in South Sudan extended the transitional period for 24 months, while postponing the general elections initially scheduled for December 22, 2024. A similar extension was made by the parties in August 2022.

The United States ambassador to South Sudan, Michael J. Adler said the extension of the transitional period marked the “failure” of South Sudan’s leaders to create conditions necessary to hold genuine, peaceful and inclusive elections.

(ST)