JUBA — South Sudan’s Inter-Party Political Dialogue opened in Juba on 24 September, with President Salva Kiir telling participants that the forum should address election-related questions without changing or delaying the path toward the scheduled 22 December election.
The two-week process is intended to discuss election laws, administration and logistics, security and political consensus. Civil-society representatives also raised civic space, political detentions and the need for a sustainable ceasefire.
The opening session did not include several major opposition groups. Their absence limits the forum’s representativeness at its opening, but does not by itself establish the eventual outcome of the dialogue.
Different expectations for dialogue
The government is proceeding toward the December election under the amended electoral framework. Some opposition actors, meanwhile, have called for a broader regional or internationally facilitated process addressing the political transition and the 2018 peace agreement.
The difference is consequential because the sides are approaching political dialogue with different expectations: one focused on preparing for the scheduled election, and another seeking discussion of the transition’s underlying framework.
Opened 24 Sep → Major opposition groups absent → Civic space and security raised → Two-week process underway → Final outcome pending
What SSP will track
South Sudan Press will follow attendance throughout the process, whether absent parties subsequently join, which subjects are accepted onto the agenda, the role of regional and international institutions, and whether the dialogue produces agreements capable of attracting support beyond participating groups.