South Sudan: South Sudan's First Elections Won't Be Perfect - but Another Delay Could Be Even Riskier

What the report says

AllAfrica published a Conversation Africa analysis by researcher Jan Pospisil arguing that South Sudan’s planned 22 December 2026 election, the first national vote in the country’s history, is unlikely to meet ideal standards but may be less risky than another prolonged transition. The poll has already been delayed twice, in 2022 and 2024, after the 2018 revitalised peace deal set up a power-sharing transitional government.

The analysis says South Sudan remains poorly prepared. The National Election Commission announced the date six months ahead, but funding and implementation appear weak. Voter registration has not begun, insecurity continues in some areas, civic education is limited, and major peace-agreement commitments are unfinished. These include a permanent constitution, integration of rival armed forces into a unified army, and transitional justice mechanisms. The article also notes legal concerns over reusing constituencies from Sudan’s 2010 elections and flaws in the current election law.

Pospisil’s central argument is that repeated extensions have not produced the political conditions they promised, and another delay may deepen uncertainty. He highlights presidential succession as a major risk, given President Salva Kiir’s long dominance and the lack of a clear successor within the transitional framework. An election, he argues, could compel the ruling party to name a presidential ticket and create a more orderly succession path.

The piece acknowledges that election-related violence is a real concern, especially with First Vice-President Riek Machar detained and on trial over fighting in Nasir in 2025. However, it says postponement would not necessarily reduce that danger. The analysis also cites survey findings that many South Sudanese support holding elections despite recognizing the risk of violence.