The South Sudanese government said Tuesday it is prepared to finance the National Elections Commission (NEC) to conduct long-delayed general elections scheduled for December 2026, amid concerns over funding and preparation timelines.
The announcement came after National Elections Commission Chairperson Abednego Akok told Radio Tamazuj last week that preparations were lagging due to a lack of resources for voter registration, civic education and logistics.
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.
Information Minister Ateny Wek Ateny told reporters in Juba that the government was working to mobilize funds from both oil and non-oil revenues.
“The government has the money because oil is still flowing, although it has some difficulties,” he said, adding that “non-oil revenues are there” and the elections would be state-funded.
Ateny, who is also the government spokesman, said preparations were underway to ensure the electoral process proceeds on schedule, noting that constitutional timelines require a transition to a caretaker government around October 2026.
“So from October the government should be a caretaker government that will lead people to elections,” he said.
On legal and constitutional reforms linked to the vote, Ateny said the cabinet had approved amendments to provisions in the 2018 peace agreement that would separate the conduct of a census and drafting of a permanent constitution from the upcoming election.
He said the changes would be submitted to parliament for approval.
“What I can tell you is the fact that Article 8.4 of Chapter 8 of the revitalized peace agreement mandates the parties that signed the agreement to be able to amend the agreement,” he said.
He said the amendments would allow elections to proceed without first conducting a census or finalizing a permanent constitution.
However, he did not clarify whether the amendments would be submitted to the peace monitoring body, the Reconstituted Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (RJMEC), for approval.
RJMEC Interim Chair Maj. Gen. George Owinow told lawmakers Monday that the Revitalised Transitional Government of National Unity must adhere strictly to Articles 1.9.4 and 8.4 of the peace agreement, which require consultation, consensus and agreement among all parties in any amendment process.
Opposition officials aligned with detained First Vice President Riek Machar have criticized the proposed amendments, saying they were not consulted during the process.
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