By Matik Kueth
The Presidency has ruled out any future extension of the transitional period, affirming the country’s commitment to hold long-awaited general elections in December 2026.
Africano Mande Gedima, Minister of Presidential Affairs, announced the decision on Friday after an expanded meeting of the Presidency chaired by President Salva Kiir at the State House in Juba.
The meeting brought together the four vice presidents, Dr. James Wani Igga, Josephine Lagu, Taban Deng Gai, and Rebecca Nyandeng, and representatives from all parties signatories to the 2018 Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCSS).
“The expanded meeting of the Presidency emphatically resolves that there shall be no further extension of the R-ARCSS transitional period beyond the current agreed timeline,” Gedima said.
The meeting also agreed to amend certain provisions of the R-ARCSS and the Transitional Constitution of South Sudan (2011, as amended) to establish the necessary legal framework for the elections.
A committee will be established to propose these amendments to the leadership of the various signatories, including the ITGoNU, SPLM-IO, SOA, SPLM-FDs, and OPP, ensuring that election-related matters and party grievances are addressed through dialogue.
“Recognizing the consensus among the parties on the absolute necessity of transitioning South Sudan to a democratically elected government, we are now taking concrete steps to pave the way for credible elections,” Gedima said.
The Presidency directed the immediate completion of transitional security arrangements mandated by Chapter 2 of the R-ARCSS and instructed the Ministry of Finance and Planning to allocate the necessary funds for the operationalization of the elections and related activities.
All other pending provisions of the peace agreement that cannot be completed before the elections will be formally designated as post-R-ARCSS programmes, the communique added.
Last year, in September 2024, the Presidency agreed to postpone elections originally scheduled for December 2024 by two years, extending the transitional period outlined in the 2018 peace agreement.
This delay had drawn criticism from both domestic and international observers concerned about the pace of South Sudan’s transition to democracy.
The latest decision marks a clear commitment to stick to the 2026 election timetable despite regional and international appeals from peace guarantors for a return to dialogue to expedite the remaining task in the peace agreement to be implemented.
“South Sudan cannot afford another extension. Citizens deserve a government of their choice, and we are determined to deliver that in December 2026,” Gedima stated.