No sign of election preparations in Jonglei State after extension of transitional period

Citizens across the volatile Jonglei State have complained about the lack of arrangements to prepare them for the General Elections that were postponed to December 2026.

This December, South Sudan was set to hold its first-ever General Elections as per the arrangements of the 2018 revitalized peace agreement that ended the war between the government and opposition groups. However, some key provisions of the deal are yet to be achieved and the parties agreed to extend the election timeline and government’s lifespan for another two years.

Speaking on Radio Tamazuj’s Road to Election Program, a number of citizens and officials said they have yet to see any signs of the state’s readiness for the polls.

In Langkien town, Both Jal Chol said they are waiting for the establishment of the local office of the National Elections Commission (NEC).

“Regarding the postponement or preparation for the rescheduled elections, we are waiting for a team from the electoral commission to come and prepare us,” he stated. “There is no signs of any preparation.”

John Okei Okei, a lawmaker from Akobo County, said some parts of the state feel neglected.

“Even before the postponement, while preparations were taking place for December 2024, no one visited or consulted us. Our area is cut off from the rest of the state,” he said. “Elections have been pushed to December 2026 to allow time for the implementation of some key provisions like the security arrangements. Our people are informed and I believe the extension is to their advantage so that they are prepared by the election commission for the polls.”

For his part, Ayod County Commissioner James Chuol Jiek said they learned through the media about the election extension and that they are prepared for 2026.

“In Ayod, everyone is aware of the extension as communicated through the media,” he explained. “As a county SPLM Party leader, we are ready and we had our flag bearer President Salva Kiir endorsed. So, we are just waiting for direction from the electoral commission in Juba and Bor.”

Meanwhile, Bol Deng Bol, the executive director of the civil society organization, Intrepid South Sudan (ISS) and the chairperson of Jonglei Civil Society Network (JCSN), said the possibility that elections would be held as stated in the extension declaration rests at a crossroads.

“Since 2018, elections have been postponed twice. For the parties to the agreement, this will give them time to fix the unmet key provisions necessary for the polls. However, if you see, during the extension from 2018 to 2022 and again from 2022 to 2024, very little has been achieved, not surpassing 20 percent,” he lamented. “If these people are to extend their lifespan in the government for even six years, what will they achieve yet nothing tangle has been done during the past extensions. For citizens of Jonglei State, it is their right to ask what is happening and the organizer of the elections has to move to the states and counties to educate and sensitize people about the polls.”

“We do not have faith because of the repeated past extensions and as a civil society, we are doubtful about the elections in 2026 but hope that there will be peace and stability,” Deng added.

He also said the Tumani Initiative being mediated between the government and holdout groups is hanging in the balance with no clear information about its progress.