*Highlights of agreed-upon resolutions follow at the bottom of the page.

NORTHERN BAHR EL GHAZAL - At the start of a three-day Political Parties’ Forum* in Aweil, a facilitator calls for four volunteers.

A quartet of the approximately 80 participants, representing 18 parties, seven civil society organizations and different security sector organs, come to the fore.

“Now, please hold on to one leg each of this chair,” says Edmund Yakani, Executive Director of the Community Empowerment for Progress Organization, as he lifts it a meter above the ground. On its seat, he places a piece of paper that says “NBGS”, the acronym for Northern Bahr El Ghazal State.

“These four are the core parties of the government of this state,” he says with a nod at the four holders of the airborne chair, “and this chair is the revitalized peace agreement, the one we are expected to implement together, in a spirit of unity,” he adds.

Suddenly, Mr. Yakani asks two of his volunteers/political parties to let go of the legs they are holding. The chair tips alarmingly, almost falling back on the floor.

The visual demonstration is clear enough for the hitherto intrigued audience to understand: The implementation of the peace agreement and its many stipulations, including the one on creating a conducive environment for political debate and national elections, when there is no harmony and cooperation among its signatories.

In an instance, those attending the forum, named “Towards an open civic and political space in South Sudan”, have become acutely aware of what is at stake, namely the future of their country as a peaceful, democratic nation.

“Civic and political space are new concepts to some of us, because we used to have a one-party system which has now turned into a multiparty one. When things are new, people will not always understand them,” admits Abuor Gordon Nhial, her state’s Minister of Peacebuilding, who remains optimistic.

“Political parties in the state are becoming more self-confident and have some space to conduct their meetings in a correct way,” she observes.

With South Sudan’s first post-independence polls recently having been delayed and now scheduled for December 2026, politicians, civil society organizations and other stakeholders are making the most of the time at their disposal to enable civic and political dialogue and debate.

The Aweil forum, following similar events in Wau, Juba, Rumbek, Bentiu, Yambio and Bor, is part of these efforts. It is also one of several components of a broader initiative by the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), supported by the African Union and the Reconstituted Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission, which has the very same objective.

In Northern Bahr El Ghazal, a state where the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement in Government is strong, 17 other political parties need the minimum of political space required to be able to function and compete for the sympathies of voters.

“Civic and political actors must be able to freely assemble, register their parties, have equal access to media and opportunities to hold rallies, meetings and other campaign activities without obstruction,” commented Guang Cong, the peacekeeping mission’s Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General.

Significant steps to that end were taken at the Aweil forum, with participants signing off on an action plan. In broad terms, the document means that political parties in the state have committed to enabling civic and political space; collaboration between themselves, security organs and civil society organizations, and making efforts to build trust and confidence among all relevant stakeholders.

“The resolutions shows that civil society organizations and the leadership of the parties are now aware of their rights and what they can do within the legal framework of the law of the country,” said High Court Judge Abraham Major Lat, who called the document, “a landmark”.

Among the agreed-on resolutions is also one that urges everyone participating in the Tumaini Peace Initiative - talks between signatories to the revitalized peace agreement and non-signatories, aimed at bringing hold-out groups on board for a more wide-reaching peace deal - to compromise and build consensus.

Highlights among the resolutions agreed on at the Political Parties’ Forum in Aweil:

• “Provide a level playing field for all political stakeholders for electioneering, to provide for free, fair, transparent and credible elections”, not least by promoting the rule of law and protecting “fundamental rights like freedom of movement, expression, association, assembly and press freedom”.
• Make the registration of political parties affordable.
• Increased collaboration amongst political parties, security sector actors and civil society organizations, which is expected to “encourage socio-political cohesion and political dialogue as a conflict mitigation and community violence reduction strategy”. That outcome would further help reduce “tribalism, corruption, nepotism and discrimination”.
• Promote continuous consultations in various decision-making processes to build trust and confidence among relevant stakeholders.
• Strive for a strong and independent judiciary.
• Establish an electoral dispute resolution mechanism to mitigate potential violence related to the polling process.
• Advocate for the reunification of the country’s armed forces and for further reforms of the security sector.