Juba, 28 June, 2026 / 6:59 am (ACI Africa)
South Sudan’s opposition alliance, the United People’s Alliance (UPA), has rejected the decision to hold the country’s first-ever general elections on 22 December 2026, saying the necessary legal, constitutional, and security conditions for a credible vote have not been met
In a statement issued on June 26, four days after the National Elections Commission (NEC) announced the election date, officials of the opposition alliance called instead for an inclusive national dialogue leading to a neutral transitional government
In the three-page statement signed by Bor Gatwech Kuany, Secretary for Information and Official Spokesperson (UPA), the officials described the NEC decision made public on June 22 as “illegal and unconstitutional.”
They are alleging that the decision “represents a deliberate attempt to subvert the search for peace” and undermines the implementation of the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCSS).Â
“The necessary prerequisites for a free, fair, and credible democratic process do not exist,” the UPA officials said, arguing that elections under the peace agreement are intended to conclude a constitutional and political transition rather than proceed according to “an arbitrary date.”Â
