Key takeaways
- The UN Security Council heard on November 10, 2026 that the South Sudan elections, set for December 22, are being organised in a compressed timeframe with security, logistical and political gaps.
- The African Union's envoy, Jakaya Kikwete, told the Council that the government does not appear to have enough money to finance the vote.
- South Sudan's government and Russia argued against pre-judging readiness, while South Africa, citing an African Union assessment, said preparations are inadequate.
- The main opposition group, the SPLM/A-IO, says the release of detained leader Riek Machar is a precondition for joining political dialogue, which leaves the vote without its biggest rival.
The South Sudan elections scheduled for December 22, 2026 could undermine the country’s fragile peace if held without wider political consensus, the UN Security Council was told on November 10 in New York. Anita Kiki Gbeho, head of the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), said weakening political consensus, rising insecurity and a deepening humanitarian crisis threaten the transition. The vote would be the first national election since independence in 2011, and Juba insists it will proceed.
The Council met to discuss developments ahead of the election, with Gbeho briefing members on the Secretary-General’s latest report. According to the UN’s meetings coverage, discussion was expected to cover the political transition, electoral preparations, renewed fighting and food insecurity.
What did the UN and African Union tell the Security Council?
Gbeho said government officials showed a clear determination to hold the vote on December 22. She voiced concern about security arrangements, logistics, the National Electoral Commission’s capacity to organise polls in a compressed timeframe, and delays in implementing the 2018 peace agreement. Africanews reported that she framed the central test as whether the transition stays anchored in the Revitalized Peace Agreement beyond polling day.
Jakaya Kikwete, the African Union’s High Representative for the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea, raised funding. Radio Tamazuj reported that he told the Council by video link: “The government does not seem to have enough resources to be able to finance these elections.” He also called for security sector reform and dialogue among parties after the vote.
Secretary-General António Guterres, in a report to the Council, said changes to the electoral framework could alter the foundations of the transition agreed by the peace deal’s signatories. The report is catalogued as S/2026/853.
Why are the South Sudan elections so contested?
The background is a transition that has narrowed. A civil war that began in 2013 killed some 400,000 people before the 2018 agreement brought President Salva Kiir and rival Riek Machar into an interim power-sharing government, according to the Associated Press. Kiir dissolved the transitional government on September 22, removed his deputies and appointed a caretaker administration.
Machar remains under house arrest and is standing trial on charges including treason over an attack on a military garrison. His allies deny the allegations. The SPLM/A-IO, his party, maintains that his release is a prerequisite for its participation in dialogue. Meanwhile, the ruling SPLM has begun nationwide primaries, while other registered parties show limited electoral activity.
Legal changes also matter. South Sudan’s parliament ratified an amendments bill on July 1 that postponed the population census and permanent constitution-making, both stipulated in the peace agreement, until after the December elections, according to Security Council Report, an independent monitoring organisation.
What do Juba and Council members say about readiness?
Positions in the chamber were not uniform. South Sudan’s Deputy Permanent Representative, Sabino Edward Nyawella Amaikwey, told the Council that elections are not an obstacle to peace and are essential to consolidating stability. He said obstruction of UNMISS is not government policy.
Russia cautioned against premature judgments about readiness and urged members to respect Juba’s authority over the electoral process. Pakistan’s ambassador, Syed Haider Shah, said elections are one milestone in the peace process, not its end.
South Africa took a more cautious line. Radio Tamazuj reported that Pretoria, citing an African Union assessment, said South Sudan is inadequately prepared, with shortages of resources and technical expertise. Before the meeting, Security Council Report noted that members have repeatedly worried that elections held without broad consensus could deepen divisions and trigger renewed violence.
Outside analysts are sharper. Murithi Mutiga, Africa director at the International Crisis Group, said a rushed vote could be “a final blow” to the 2018 agreement. The Crisis Group’s own briefing to the Council said Juba had denied Kikwete and other envoys permission to meet Machar.
What is the humanitarian backdrop to the vote?
The election is being prepared amid hunger and displacement. UN News listed key facts ahead of the meeting: clashes in Upper Nile state have displaced more than 35,000 people, and 2.5 million people face emergency hunger, including 73,300 facing catastrophe. Aid access and the protection of civilians are central to UNMISS’s mandate, and Council members were expected to revisit the mission’s capacity to protect civilians amid rising violence, movement restrictions and attacks on personnel.
What could the South Sudan elections change?
Proponents argue that a vote would close a long-delayed transition and give the government a fresh mandate. Sceptics, including the UN and AU officials who briefed the Council, argue that a vote without the main opposition, adequate funding and security could produce a result that is not accepted by key factions. The two sides agree on one point: the outcome will be judged by whether civilians are safer afterwards, a test Gbeho set out in her briefing.
The Security Council has limited direct leverage over the electoral process, since Juba controls it. Its tools are mainly UNMISS’s mandate, public messaging and diplomatic pressure alongside the African Union and the regional bloc IGAD. The AU Peace and Security Council, IGAD and an AU ad hoc committee have called for a cessation of hostilities, release of political detainees, inclusive dialogue and predictable electoral financing. Security Council Report assessed that these conditions remain unmet.
What to watch
- December 22: whether polling goes ahead on the scheduled date, or is delayed again.
- Funding: any pledges from donors or regional partners in response to Kikwete’s appeal.
- Machar’s status: developments in his trial, and whether envoys gain access to him.
- Opposition participation: whether the SPLM/A-IO or other parties join the process.
- Violence and access: fighting in Upper Nile and any restrictions on UNMISS movement and humanitarian aid.
- Council response: whether members agree press elements or other statements on the election.
Frequently asked questions
When are the South Sudan elections?
The South Sudan elections are scheduled for December 22, 2026. They would be the first national elections since the country became independent from Sudan in 2011. They have been postponed repeatedly, and the UN Mission in South Sudan has described the preparations as compressed and incomplete.
Why is Riek Machar important to the vote?
Riek Machar was First Vice-President under the 2018 peace deal and leads the SPLM/A-IO opposition. He is under house arrest and on trial for treason, which he and his allies deny. His party says his release is a precondition for joining political dialogue, so his status affects whether the vote is inclusive.
What is UNMISS and what does it do?
UNMISS is the United Nations Mission in South Sudan, a peacekeeping operation mandated by the Security Council. It protects civilians, supports humanitarian access, monitors human rights and backs the peace process. Anita Kiki Gbeho heads the mission and briefed the Security Council on November 10, 2026.
Sources
- Security Council, 10268th Meeting (AM) UN Mission in South Sudan
- Security Council LIVE: South Sudan's first elections loom amid rising violence
- South Sudan: Briefing and Consultations, What's In Blue
- South Sudan vote: UN warns political transition must hold beyond polling day
- South Sudan prepares for elections it may not afford
- South Africa says South Sudan election preparations inadequate
- South Sudan at 'critical juncture' ahead of elections, UN warns
- South Sudan's elections next month risk unraveling a fragile peace, envoys warn
- Briefing to UN Security Council: Update on the Situation in South Sudan
- Pakistan calls 2018 peace deal vital for South Sudan's transition ahead of polls
Top image: Jdforrester / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0)
This article was produced by the Intelligence Report Desk. Sources are linked below.
