Edmond Yakani, the Executive Director of the Community Empowerment Progress Organization [CEPO] - Credit: Eye Radio/Lou Nelson |

A civil society activist has commended the presidency for instructing the state governments and chief administrators to open political space for the peace parties.

On Friday, the presidency directed state governors, heads of the three administrative areas and local government officials to lift restriction on political activities, saying the peace parties are working under one government through the 2018 peace accord.

The directive came after several calls by opposition parties, civil society groups, and the international community for free civic and political space.

Reacting to the decision, the Executive Director of the Community Empowerment for Progress Organizations welcomed the move, describing it as a positive response to the long-waited calls.

“This is a positive response to our long waited calls that we have made in the past through our peace agreement advocacy program. We are now proud now that at least the presidency has responded positively.

Edmond Yakani went on to call for a free civic space to enable the citizen’s dialogue and interaction on matters related to the implementation of the peace agreement.

“Sincerely citizen ownership of the Revitalized Peace Agreement is so much determined by an open civic space that allows citizens to dialogue, interact, and argue and to reach the consensus on how they want the agreement to be implemented.”

The activist, however, cautioned state and administrative area authorities against undermining the presidency’s instructions.

“You have security institutions that may undermine the instructions directed by the presidency and communicated by the honorable minister in presidential affairs Hon. Benjamin Marial.”

“Some security officials may undermine these instructions because is not the first time we have seen similar instructions coming from the president and they are undermined by junior security institutions or by other security officials not respecting.”

South Sudanese are expected to go to polls in 2024 by the extended peace agreement to usher in a democratically elected government.

However, key provisions of the peace agreement such as having in place a permanent constitution, ensuring the registration of political parties, and conducting a national census, are yet to be seen.