LAKES – “During the civil wars of 2013 and 2016, we never imagined a time would come when we could be free to assemble and discuss the future of our nation without fear,” says Stephen Mathiang Deng, Minister for Cabinet Affairs in Lakes state, South Sudan.

Minister Deng was speaking at a three-day interaction, supported by the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), which brought together key stakeholders—politicians, youth, women, community leaders, faith-based organizations, and academics—to begin constructive conversations on the route towards free, fair, and inclusive elections that are currently scheduled for December 2024.

“Earlier, there was pervasive fear among communities, even to go to a local market. These days it is different. Stores and shops are open, vendors ply their wares; and people convene to talk to one another. It is this dialogue on the way forward towards a more peaceful, prosperous future, that we, as the government, would like to encourage,” adds the Minister, assuring all gathered of the state’s commitment to nurturing spaces for consistent civic and political engagement by all.

Intense and detailed discussions by participants focused on the roles and responsibilities of the National Elections Commission (NEC); the National Constitutional Review Commission (NCRC) and the Political Parties Council (PPC). Stakeholders also sought updates on the status of the Tumaini Peace Initiative, currently ongoing in Nairobi, capital of neighboring Kenya, where non-signatories to the 2018 peace deal are engaged in finding a consensus-based way forward for South Sudan to complete its long overdue democratic transition while incorporating viewpoints across the political spectrum.

“The shifts in the country’s political landscape in past weeks have been rapid, and in an information environment where people may find it difficult to distinguish fact from fiction, connecting state-level actors to national developments, plus raising awareness on individual obligations before citizens head to the polls, is vital,” reveals Guy Bennett, Chief of the UN Peacekeeping Mission’s Political Affairs Division.