By Yiep Joseph
The National Elections Commission (NEC) has officially declared 22 December 2026 as the date for South Sudan’s general elections.
Addressing journalists during a press conference on Monday, the Chairperson of the NEC, Abednego Akok Kacuol, said the country is prepared to conduct the elections in accordance with the peace agreement.
Prof. Akok said the announcement marks a significant milestone in South Sudan’s democratic transition and called on all stakeholders to support the electoral process.
“We are ready to conduct the elections as stipulated in the agreement,” he said.
However, the NEC chairperson appealed to the government to urgently release the remaining funds needed to enable the commission to implement all electoral activities ahead of polling day.
According to Prof. Akok, the commission requires a total budget of USD 250 million to organise the elections but has so far received only USD 21 million, leaving a funding gap of USD 229 million.
“The commission still needs a balance of USD 229 million to successfully conduct the elections,” he said.
The funds are expected to facilitate key electoral activities, including voter registration, civic and voter education, procurement of election materials, training of election officials, logistics, and polling operations across the country.
The announcement follows years of delays in South Sudan’s electoral process. Under the agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan (R-ARCSS), the country was expected to hold its first post-independence elections after completing key transitional tasks, including the drafting of a permanent constitution, unification of forces, and implementation of institutional reforms.
However, the transitional government extended its mandate after determining that several critical provisions of the peace agreement had not been fully implemented.
The extension pushed the end of the transitional period to February 2027, with elections scheduled for 22 December 2026 as part of the revised roadmap.
The electoral process is expected to involve the National Elections Commission, the National Constitutional Review Commission, the Political Parties Council, security institutions, political parties, civil society organisations, and international partners working together to ensure peaceful, credible, free, and fair elections.
The declaration of the election date is seen as a major step toward implementing the peace agreement.