UK Ambassador urges caretaker government to be neutral ahead of elections

The outgoing United Kingdom ambassador to South Sudan, David Ashley, has called on the newly formed caretaker government to be neutral and provide equal opportunities to all political parties ahead of the planned December elections.

Ashley said the government should ensure that state resources are not used to support any particular political party or candidate during the electoral process.

Speaking at his farewell press conference in Juba on Thursday, the ambassador raised concerns about the composition of the caretaker government, saying its dominance by one political party could raise questions about its impartiality.

“A caretaker government should be neutral. It should be just there to organize the elections and deal with normal business in the meantime,” Ashley said.

He said the composition of the caretaker government could create concerns if one political party has a dominant presence.

“So, if you have a caretaker government which is very largely from one political party, that raises questions and concerns,” he said.

Ashley called on the caretaker government to treat all political parties fairly and provide equal access and opportunities during the electoral process.

“We want to see the caretaker government behave neutrally, fairly to all political parties, making sure that there’s no state resources going to support any one candidate, any one party and so on and so forth,” he said.

The ambassador’s remarks come as South Sudan prepares for elections scheduled for December 2026, following President Salva Kiir Mayardit’s dissolution of the transitional government and the formation of a caretaker administration.

Ashley is leaving his post as the United Kingdom’s ambassador to South Sudan as the country enters another critical phase of its political transition.