South Sudan has postponed its presidential and parliamentary elections to February 11, 2027. The vote was scheduled to take place on December 22, 2026, but the National Electoral Commission published a new calendar moving the date by nearly two months.
These are to be the country's first national elections since it declared independence in 2011. The vote has been postponed several times, including in 2022 and 2024.
Commission cites additional preparations
The published calendar does not specify a particular reason for the change. In a statement, the National Electoral Commission said more time was needed for preparations, including the distribution of registration materials, the opening of registration centers and the organization of logistics.
„This is the schedule we drew up after extensive consultations with stakeholders,“ Josephine Achiro Fortelo, a commissioner and spokesperson for the commission, told Reuters.
Voter registration is scheduled to take place from November 14 to 28. According to commission chair Gabriel Bol Deng, 3,161 centers have been designated across the country for this purpose, and more than 22,000 employees will take part in the process.
Campaign begins at the end of December
The election campaign is scheduled to begin on December 27 and continue until February 9, 2027. The following day has been designated as a period without campaigning, while voting is scheduled for February 11.
The preparations are taking place against a backdrop of continued instability. The 2018 peace agreement ended a five-year civil war, but armed clashes and violence between rival communities continue to occur.
In September, the UN Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan said that the country still lacked sufficient guarantees and conditions for peaceful and credible elections. International representatives also warned that the vote could heighten tensions surrounding the fragile political transition.
The new date places the elections in February 2027, when the extended transitional period agreed after the peace agreement expires. Whether the vote will take place then will depend on progress with registration, logistical preparations and security in the country.
Sources: apnews.com, marketscreener.com, aljazeera.com