The National Elections Commission of South Sudan has scheduled the country’s first general election for December 22, 2026.
This was announced by the commission’s chairman, Abednego Akok Katsol, at a press conference in Juba. According to him, the date was announced in accordance with the election law, which requires the polling date to be published at least six months before the election.
The elections are set to be the first national elections in South Sudan since the country declared independence in 2011. Previously, the vote had been postponed repeatedly due to civil war, political crises, the lack of a permanent constitution, security concerns, and incomplete preparations for the electoral infrastructure.
In 2024, the transitional period was extended for another two years, and the elections were postponed from December 2024 to December 2026. South Sudan is governed by a transitional coalition government formed following the 2018 peace agreement and the establishment of a government of national unity in 2020.
Despite the announcement of the date, preparations for the vote remain uncertain. Katsuol stated that the commission is hampered by gaps in legislation, a lack of necessary regulatory instruments, and a funding shortfall.
According to him, the total election budget is estimated at approximately $250 million, while the commission has received about $21 million. If additional funding is not allocated in the coming months, the commission may adjust its preparatory schedule to reflect more realistic timelines.
The disputed region of Abyei, on the border between South Sudan and Sudan, remains a separate issue. The Electoral Commission intends to send a delegation there to assess the feasibility of holding the election.
For South Sudan, the 2026 elections are set to be a key test of the political transition following the civil war. However, their success will depend on three factors: the availability of funds, security on the ground, and the authorities’ ability to complete legal and organizational procedures by December.
Key takeaway: The election date has been announced, but the elections themselves cannot yet be considered guaranteed. South Sudan has formally entered a six-month election cycle, but preparations remain vulnerable due to a lack of funding, unresolved legal issues, and security risks.
South Sudan became an independent state on July 9, 2011, following years of conflict between northern and southern Sudan and a referendum on self-determination. The country’s division was the result of the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement, which ended one of Africa’s longest-running civil wars and paved the way for a vote on the South’s independence.
However, as early as 2013, South Sudan was plunged into its own civil war. The conflict arose between supporters of President Salva Kiir and forces aligned with former Vice President Riek Machar. The conflict was political, ethnic, and resource-based in nature, and its consequences included the collapse of institutions, mass displacement, economic decline, and chronic instability.
In 2018, the parties signed a revised peace agreement that provided for a ceasefire, the formation of a transitional government of national unity, security sector reform, the drafting of a constitution, and the holding of elections. However, implementation of the agreement proceeded slowly, and many key provisions were never fully implemented.
Today, there are two distinct states—Sudan and South Sudan.
Sudan is the larger country in northeastern Africa, with its capital in Khartoum. It has access to the Red Sea, has historically been linked to the Arab-Muslim north, and lost a significant portion of its oil resources following the secession of the south. In recent years, Sudan itself has been experiencing a severe internal armed conflict and a crisis of central authority.
South Sudan is a landlocked country with its capital in Juba. It is rich in oil but depends on Sudan’s infrastructure for its export. The country remains one of the youngest and most vulnerable in the world: weak institutions, intercommunal conflicts, a lack of roads, a budget dependent on oil, and humanitarian crises continue to hinder its development.
