NEC, partners train persons with disabilities on electoral participation

The National Elections Commission (NEC), in partnership with the United Nations Integrated Electoral Assistance Team and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), has conducted a civic engagement programme for organisations representing persons with disabilities in Juba.

The Friday initiative aimed to raise awareness on inclusive participation in the electoral process as South Sudan prepares for the upcoming general elections.

The programme follows a baseline survey conducted between 2024 and 2025, which found that persons with disabilities, women and other minority groups have limited knowledge of elections and their electoral rights.

Commissioner for Civic Education at the NEC, Thambo Aboshajang, said inclusion of persons with disabilities is essential for strengthening democracy.

“I am encouraged persons with disabilities to participate in all the level of the elections,” Aboshajang said.

Representing JICA, Programme Officer for Electoral Support Emmanuel Djokdut said disability should not be seen as a barrier to participation, urging inclusive engagement ahead of the polls.

“Disability is not inability,” he said, calling for active involvement of persons with disabilities in the electoral process.

Chairperson of the South Sudan Association of the Visually Impaired, Mahmoud Louis Alier, welcomed the initiative but stressed that meaningful inclusion requires direct participation.

“There is no elections for us without us,” he said.

Organisers said continued civic education and stakeholder engagement will be critical in building public trust and confidence in the electoral process ahead of the December general elections.