South Sudan’s cabinet has approved a new set of amendments to the 2018 peace agreement, a move the government says is aimed at clearing the way forlong delayed elections scheduled for December.
Information Minister Ateny Wek Ateny said the Council of Ministers, chaired by President Salva Kiir, unanimously endorsed the amendment bill 2026 during a meeting on Friday. The proposed changes will now be submitted to the Transitional National Legislative Assembly for debate and approval.
Ateny said the amendments are intended to revise provisions in the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan to enable the conduct of elections.
“The cabinet unanimously agreed to the amendment bill to allow the conduct of elections,” he told reporters after the meeting.
He did not provide details of the specific articles amended.
The latest move marks the second time the cabinet has approved changes to the 2018 peace deal. In December 2025, the Council of Ministers endorsed amendments that removed key pre-election requirements, including the permanent constitution making process and a national population census, from the electoral timeline.
Those earlier changes allowed authorities to rely on the Transitional Constitution and directed the National Elections Commission to organize polls before the end of the transitional period. They also postponed the census until after elections and shortened timelines for electoral preparations, including voter registration and legal reforms.
However, the December amendments were not submitted to parliament and were not approved by the peace monitoring body, the Reconstituted Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (RJMEC). Opposition officials aligned with detained First Vice President Riek Machar also rejected them.
Minister Ateny said the newly approved bill would be forwarded to parliament and, once enacted, would enable the country to proceed with general elections in December without obstacles.
It remains unclear whether the new amendments will be presented to the monitoring body for approval, a step required under the peace agreement.
Civil society position
Leading civil society activist Edmund Yakani criticized the move, saying the changes violate procedures outlined in the agreement, which require endorsement by the monitoring body.
“Any amendment to the agreement requires approval by RJMEC. Without that, it constitutes a violation,” Yakani said.
He called on regional bodies, including the Intergovernmental Authority on Development and the African Union, to intervene and ensure compliance with the peace deal.
In February, an African Union panel urged South Sudan’s leaders to hold inclusive dialogue, proceed with elections, release political detainees, including Dr. Riek Machar, and uphold a ceasefire.
The 2018 peace agreement, signed by Kiir, Machar and other parties, has been repeatedly delayed, with key milestones, including elections, missed multiple times.
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