South Sudan appeals for funds to conduct elections

South Sudan urged international and regional support for upcoming elections. Cabinet Affairs Minister Martin Elia Lomuro stated that the government’s budget isn’t enough, emphasizing the need for generous contributions from global partners.

He highlighted the significant costs of the electoral and constitutional processes, alongside the country’s economic challenges.

“We commit to transparently submit the detailed budget sheets to the region, continent as well as international countries and partners to study and decide areas each could consider assisting South Sudan in its endeavor for democratic transition in December 2024,” Elia said in Juba, South Sudan’s capital, during a plenary session of the peace monitors, the Reconstituted Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (RJMEC).

The government stated that $40 million is needed to draft a new constitution, but a supplementary budget covering only 63% of this amount has been proposed.

For the electoral process, an estimated $228.1 million is required, but the government’s supplementary budget will only cover 15% of this total, including necessary security expenses.

South Sudan faced a civil war in 2011 after a dispute between President Salva Kiir and his deputy, Riek Machar, resulting in around 400,000 deaths. A peace agreement was signed in 2018.

The country plans to hold a general election in December 2024 after the transitional period.