A faction of the opposition SPLM-IO loyal to detained First Vice President Riek Machar questioned South Sudan’s planned Dec. 22, 2026, elections, saying critical provisions of the 2018 peace agreement remain unimplemented and could undermine the credibility of the vote.
In a statement issued after a June 27 meeting of its Political Bureau in Juba and signed by Joseph Malwal, the Political Bureau’s focal point, the party said it was not opposed to elections but insisted they should proceed only after adequate preparations to ensure they are “free, fair, credible and peaceful.”
The statement came days after the National Elections Commission (NEC) announced that South Sudan would hold its first general elections since independence on Dec. 22, 2026, in accordance with the timetable set out in the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan (R-ARCSS).
While acknowledging that the commission’s announcement fulfilled a legal requirement, the SPLM-IO said it was misleading because it created the impression that the country was ready for elections despite several mandatory pre-election tasks remaining incomplete.
The opposition group cited what it described as outstanding prerequisites, including the completion of the unification of forces, the conclusion of the permanent constitution-making process, and progress in reconstruction, repatriation, resettlement, rehabilitation and the reintegration of internally displaced persons (IDPs) and refugees.
It also said a national population and housing census must be conducted before the end of the transitional period, as required under Article 1.2.14 of the peace agreement.
In addition, the SPLM-IO said authorities must conduct voter registration and prepare and publish a voters’ register at least six months before polling.
The opposition also raised concerns over the absence of a functioning judicial mechanism to resolve election disputes, saying reforms required under the peace agreement and the transitional constitution have yet to be implemented.
It said the National Elections Act, as amended to align with the peace agreement, requires disputes arising from the conduct and outcome of elections to be adjudicated by a competent judicial body, most likely a High Court.
However, the SPLM-IO argued that South Sudan’s judiciary has not been reformed in accordance with the peace agreement and continues to operate under the Transitional Government of National Unity (TGoNU) judicial framework that predates the 2018 accord.
“As such, conduct and results of the elections cannot be contested before any court within the current judiciary,” the statement said.
The party reiterated that any electoral process should be conducted in accordance with the R-ARCSS and should involve all signatories to the agreement.
President Salva Kiir’s camp has maintained that elections should go ahead in December 2026, while some opposition groups argue that key provisions of the peace agreement remain unimplemented and that conditions for a credible vote have not been met.
Among those raising concerns is the SPLM-IO, led by First Vice President Riek Machar, a principal signatory to the peace agreement. Machar has been under detention in Juba since March and is facing treason charges.
On June 22, the NEC set Dec. 22, 2026, as the date for South Sudan’s first election since independence in 2011, while warning that legal inconsistencies and funding shortages could complicate preparations.
NEC Chairperson Abednego Akok Kacuol said the date was announced in compliance with the electoral law, which requires the commission to declare polling at least six months in advance. He acknowledged, however, that gaps and contradictions remain in the legal framework governing the electoral process.
South Sudan has repeatedly postponed elections since gaining independence, with the transitional government citing delays in implementing key provisions of the peace agreement, including security arrangements, constitution-making and other electoral preparations.
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