Deng Athuai, Chairman of South Sudan Civil Society Alliance (SSCSA) said the country needs peace and security to create an atmosphere for free and fair elections with the participation of all South Sudanese across the ten states.

South Sudan’s National Election Commission has announced elections in June 2015 and the government announced an elections budget of 1.5 billion South Sudanese pounds, which is equivalent to more than 10% of the 2014/2015 annual budget.

Speaking on Thursday at the Civic Engagement Center in Juba, Athuai said that the search for peace, security and stability must remain the priority on the agenda of the South Sudanese people and especially the Civil Society Alliance.

“We believe that those who are in camps, those who are outside, we have to ask them. We have a long way to go, we are not here to encourage election only, we are here also encourage the unity of the people and peaceful election,” Athuai said.

“The South Sudan’s Civil society alliance SSCSA urges the National Elections Commissions to further extend elections consultations to the ten states and to compile a report that should be made public on the possibility of the general elections’ conduct in the country,” the statement stated.

For his part, David Adau spokesperson of the Alliance said that the alliance is calling for Elections Commission to conduct a rapid assessment in all the ten states to collect views on the possibility of how the elections can be carried out.

“What we are saying is that let there be peace and security before you could actually move for that elections. For as long as this two are in the place and security an election is guaranteed to be supported by us and I believe by the rest of the citizens and the international community in this matter.”