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EU warns South Sudan risks holding elections without a constitution
🇵🇾 Paraguay /Elections & Politics

EU warns South Sudan risks holding elections without a constitution

From ABC Color · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News From a news agency New plan
  • The European Union has warned South Sudan against holding general elections in December without first adopting a constitution.
  • The EU ambassador stressed the importance of a solid legal and institutional framework for the electoral process.
  • Failure to establish a constitution could undermine governance, including separation of powers and minority rights.

The European Union has cautioned South Sudan against proceeding with its plan to hold general elections in December without first establishing a permanent constitution. Pelle Enarsson, the EU ambassador to South Sudan, highlighted the risks associated with holding elections before a solid legal and institutional foundation is in place.

During a workshop on national institutions, civic education, and public consultations, Enarsson urged the South Sudanese government and parliament to prioritize the drafting of a constitution. This is crucial as the world's youngest nation prepares for its first elections since gaining independence in 2011. The ambassador warned that holding elections under the current circumstances could weaken fundamental pillars of governance, such as the separation of powers, minority rights, and institutional balance.

We use each other's trusted technology, and our financial systems are interconnected. It is in our mutual interest that our citizens and companies can safely use the best AI models

— Ursula von der LeyenAddressing G7 leaders and AI company chiefs about the importance of mutual trust and safety in AI model usage.

The EU maintains that the constitutional process remains the priority, despite ongoing disagreements among political factions that have stalled progress. Enarsson emphasized that elections provide a snapshot of the political landscape, whereas a constitution offers long-term foundations for a country's future. He also pointed to the need for a clear division of powers among territorial, executive, legislative, and judicial branches.

While not opposing proposals to decouple elections from the constitutional process, the EU stressed that the work of the National Constitutional Review Commission must be safeguarded and continued regardless of the sequence adopted. The EU has supported South Sudan's constitutional process through the National Constitutional Review Commission since 2023. Currently, the Revitalised Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan serves as the supreme law, but its fragility was underscored in March 2025 when political tensions and armed conflict escalated following an attack on a barracks that led to the arrest of opposition leader Riek Machar.

We test planes before flying them. The US and EU are world leaders in aviation safety, and we can also show the way also in AI...I'm looking forward to working together with the U.S. on this

— Ursula von der LeyenDrawing a parallel between aviation safety and AI regulation to emphasize the potential for US-EU cooperation.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by ABC Color in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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