On 22 July 2026, EU Chargé d'Affaires Lothar Jaschke urged South Sudanese parliamentarians to actively use their constitutional powers to demand government accountability on budget execution, unpaid salaries, and rights protections, speaking at a civic education event in Juba. The two-day event, titled "Primer on Federal Governance," supports the National Constitutional Review Committee (NCRC) consultations for South Sudan's permanent constitution.
Jaschke highlighted that the constitution-making process is "the greatest success story in South Sudan since the signing of the peace agreement in September 2018." He noted that on 2 July 2026, NCRC Chair Dr. Riang informed the Reconstituted Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (RJMEC) Board that the permanent constitution could be finalized before the end of the transitional period if all parties cooperate. Minister Lomuro acknowledged the progress during that meeting.
Jaschke reminded lawmakers of their rights under the constitution, including the right to request government statements on any issue, and cited the Bill of Rights as "the cornerstone of social justice, equality and democracy." He pointed to specific failures: health budget execution below 1% of spending compared to a 10% average in Sub-Saharan Africa, and unpaid public health workers. He referenced a speech by Speaker Joseph Paciko on 1 May 2026 calling for remuneration of work.
Jaschke also welcomed Minister Lomuro's commitment to shift pending peace agreement tasks to a "post-election R-ARCSS agenda," which was formalized in the RJMEC Board conclusions of 2 July 2026. He encouraged as much implementation progress as possible during the agreement's remaining lifetime.
The event was organized with support from the Max Planck Foundation, which has conducted workshops and produced handouts on constitutional processes. Jaschke described the legislature's role as key in a democracy, particularly under a federal constitution, and urged parliamentarians to initiate legislation and supervise government activities.