South Sudan’s government will extend an olive branch to rival opposition groups to negotiate a consensus ahead of elections scheduled for December 2026, Information Minister Ateny Wek Ateny said.
Ateny made the remarks Wednesday after a meeting with U.N. Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General Graham Maitland at his office in Juba.
“I assured His Excellency Graham that South Sudan is working around the clock to ensure that all stakeholders are on board. Dialogue is what we are embarking on so that we extend an olive branch to the opposition, particularly the wing of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-in-Opposition that is fighting us,” he said.
Riek Machar, leader of the SPLM-IO and a key partner in the 2018 peace agreement he signed with President Salva Kiir, was detained in March 2025 and is currently facing treason charges in a special court in Juba over his alleged role in violence last year.
The opposition group is currently run in an acting capacity by Machar’s deputy, Oyet Nathaniel Pierino, who lives in exile.
Political tensions and disputes between Kiir and Machar have slowed implementation of the peace agreement, which the international community warns risks collapse.
The security situation is deteriorating, with fighting reported in parts of the country, particularly in Jonglei and Upper Nile states, between government forces and SPLA-IO fighters.
Ateny, who also serves as government spokesman, said authorities are working to include and engage non-signatories to the 2018 peace agreement so that, by the time elections are held, no fighting will occur anywhere in the country.
“I assure him that the election is going to take place exactly as announced by the government in December 2026. The last extension of the transition was clear, stating that the interim period would end in December 2026, and that two months prior to the end of the transition, the election should have started.”
For his part, Maitland said the United Nations wants elections in South Sudan to be conducted peacefully and in an inclusive manner to conclude the political transition.
“For us, the main concern and perspective is that we do all of this in a peaceful manner and that it ends peacefully. We are very confident, and we have heard from His Excellency as well, that they are determined to prepare the ground for consensus, for inclusion, and for bringing all key stakeholders together to reflect on how we end this transition and prepare for the elections, and the conditions under which all of this happens,” he said.
The U.N. official added that the United Nations will work closely with relevant bodies to help prepare conditions and provide technical support to institutions involved in the vote.
The elections, set for Dec. 22, 2026, would be South Sudan’s first national vote since independence in 2011. They have been repeatedly postponed because of political disputes.
Last week, the cabinet approved amendments to provisions in the 2018 peace agreement that would separate the conduct of a census and the drafting of a permanent constitution from the upcoming election. The changes are expected to be submitted to parliament for approval.
It remains unclear whether the amendments will also be submitted to the Reconstituted Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission, as required under the agreement.
Juba is under mounting pressure from the international community to ensure elections are peaceful and inclusive, including engagement with Machar’s group.
RJMEC interim chair George Owinow told lawmakers Monday that the unity government must adhere strictly to provisions of the peace agreement requiring consultation, consensus and agreement among all parties in any amendment process.
Opposition officials aligned with Machar have criticized the proposed amendments, saying they were not consulted during the process.
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