South Sudan has set the 22nd of December, 2026 as the date on which it shall host its first ever election. Although this is not the first time plans to host an election have been set out, it is the first time that elections have been explicitly scheduled, though the country’s electoral chief has recognised that issues with funding and legal quandries risk causing another delay. There are also some concerns over how legitimately democratic these elections are going to be; although tensions do seem to be dying down somewhat, areas held by the SPLM-IO still seem to be hostile to elections being held within, and Kiir has been relatively authoritarian throughout his rule. Even with these challenges, and with ongoing tensions, though, I think it’s a good sign that South Sudanese institutions are beginning to prepare for elections in some capacity.
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South Sudan has set the 22nd of December, 2026 as the date on which it shall host its first ever election. Although this is not the first time plans to host an election have been set out, it is the first time that elections have been explicitly scheduled, though the country’s electoral chief has recognised that issues with funding and legal quandries risk causing another delay. There are also some concerns over how legitimately democratic these elections are going to be; although tensions do seem to be dying down somewhat, areas held by the SPLM-IO still seem to be hostile to elections being held within, and Kiir has been relatively authoritarian throughout his rule. Even with these challenges, and with ongoing tensions, though, I think it’s a good sign that South Sudanese institutions are beginning to prepare for elections in some capacity.