CEPO Executive Director Edmund Yakani. [Photo: Courtesy]JUBA – Prominent South Sudanese civil society activist Edmund Yakani has accused influential figures within the country’s leadership of fueling mistrust, undermining the peace process, and frustrating preparations for the planned December 2026 elections.
Yakani, the Executive Director of Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO), made the remarks in a statement issued following the renewal of the mandate of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) by the United Nations Security Council on April 30.
In the statement, Yakani welcomed the extension of the peacekeeping mission’s mandate and thanked members of the Security Council for supporting the resolution, saying the decision reflected continued international commitment to the protection of civilians and support for South Sudan’s fragile peace process.
However, he warned that growing political divisions among the country’s top leaders are threatening the implementation of the revitalized peace agreement and the prospects of credible elections next year.
“Some leaders in the government are clear champions of fostering a growing deficit in trust and confidence among the top leadership of the country,” Yakani said.
He accused unnamed officials of deliberately frustrating the political transition while publicly presenting themselves as supporters of democratic elections.
According to Yakani, some of the same individuals accused of obstructing the peace process are also hindering the timely release of government funding to the National Elections Commission, a move he said is putting the December 2026 polls at risk.
“The actions of the spoilers on the genuine political transitional process is holding the country hostage to deadly violence and suffering of the citizens,” he said.
Yakani said the country was rapidly running out of time to organize elections, warning that continued political infighting, party splits, insecurity, and the detention of political actors were deepening mistrust among signatories to the 2018 revitalized peace agreement.
He further claimed that influential individuals had succeeded in blocking election financing, making preparations increasingly difficult.
“The country strengths for organizing elections for December 2026 is running out too fast,” Yakani stressed, adding that the current political environment had become less conducive for free and inclusive elections.
The activist also criticized what he described as a “political culture of dragging feet,” saying some leaders were encouraging defections and divisions within parties signatory to the revitalized peace agreement instead of working toward national unity.
He said recent concerns raised by members of the UN Security Council over restrictions on UNMISS operations should serve as a serious warning to the transitional government.
Yakani argued that the frustrations expressed by international partners reflected growing disappointment with the slow pace of the transition and failure by leaders to fully implement key provisions of the peace agreement.
CEPO called on the leadership of the country to urgently embrace inclusive political dialogue aimed at resolving disputes surrounding the implementation of pending tasks under the revitalized agreement.
The organization also warned that public patience was wearing thin amid fears that some political actors could be maneuvering for another extension of the transitional period beyond the planned elections.
Yakani said CEPO could soon begin publicly naming individuals it considers responsible for obstructing the peace process and delaying election funding if the situation does not improve.
