The United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) said Monday it has wrapped up a two-day workshop for 50 prosecutors and police investigators to counter electoral offenses and deter situations of possible electoral violence jeopardizing the integrity of the electoral process.
The UNMISS said the meeting strengthened participants' knowledge of the electoral framework and provided their technical inputs into responses from the justice system to the prevention of electoral offences.
The forum, which drew participants from Western Bahr El Ghazal, Northern Bahr El Ghazal, Warrap and Lakes states, aimed to build the capacity of relevant institutions and offer recommendations for how they should respond to potential violations of election rules, the UNMISS said in a statement issued in Juba, the capital of South Sudan.
Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs Undersecretary Gabriel Isaac Awow said that ensuring the integrity of elections in South Sudan is a cornerstone of democracy.
"This workshop provides prosecutors and police investigators with the necessary expertise to detect, prevent, and respond to electoral offenses, which is crucial to maintaining public confidence in the electoral process," Awow said adding, "Strengthening these skills is an urgent priority as we approach future elections.”
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According to the UNMISS, an effective and trusted justice system is crucial from the start of the electoral process to reduce the risk of disputes turning violent.
Head of the UNMISS Wau Field Office Sam Muhumure said the workshop is vital to strengthening the rule of law in the electoral process, which directly aligns with the UNMISS mandate to support the establishment of an enabling environment for free, fair and peaceful elections in South Sudan.
"By equipping prosecutors and police investigators with the tools and knowledge to do their jobs effectively, we are helping create a more credible electoral system, which is crucial for sustaining democratic governance and long-term peace," Muhumure said.
Under the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan signed in 2018 to end the civil war, the South Sudanese government was supposed to be dissolved on Sept 22 and hold elections in December 2024.
In September, the country's transitional administration said that national elections would be postponed and that the transition period would be extended by two years.
According to the new schedule, the world's youngest country will elect leaders in the first-ever general elections on Dec. 22, 2026, at the end of the transitional period.
