2026 Elections at Risk as Violence Escalates in South Sudan

(JUBA) – South Sudan faces a critical moment as decades of peace efforts are threatened by renewed violence, stalled reforms and a worsening humanitarian crisis, a senior United Nations official warned on Monday.

UN Assistant Secretary-General for Africa, Martha Pobee, told the UN Security Council that repeated military offensives, political deadlock  and unilateral actions by parties to the Revitalised Peace Agreement have eroded trust and delayed key reforms ahead of elections scheduled for December 2026.

“Since March this year, offensives involving the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces against the SPLM-IO, including aerial bombardments, have killed civilians, displaced communities and destroyed schools and hospitals,” Pobee said.

She cautioned that unless hostilities stop, the conflict could become more dangerous and ethnically divided, potentially drawing in neighbouring countries.

Although government leaders have pledged to hold elections in 2026, the UN notes little progress has been made on security arrangements, constitutional reforms and preparations for credible polls. Pobee urged authorities to reconvene the Joint Task Force on Elections and Constitution-Making, emphasising that “declarations of commitment are not enough.”

President Salva Kiir has appointed a high level committee to steer the implementation of the peace deal, but Pobee stressed that all parties, including SPLM-IO under Riek Machar, must recommit to dialogue and power sharing mechanisms.

The UN also raised concerns over the arrest and detention of opposition figures without due process, saying it undermines trust and hampers political dialogue.

South Sudan’s humanitarian situation remains dire. Between April and July, 7.7 million people faced acute food insecurity, including 83,000 at risk of famine like conditions. Pobee warned that funding cuts are leaving millions without lifesaving assistance, noting that the Humanitarian Response Plan is less than 30 percent funded halfway through the year. Aid operations are further challenged as access incidents have nearly doubled compared to 2024, alongside rising violence against humanitarian workers.

Pobee acknowledged the positive contributions of civil society, youth, women, and judicial reforms, but stressed these must be matched by political will from the country’s leaders.

She urged the UN Security Council, the African Union, and IGAD to press South Sudanese leaders to recommit to the peace deal, release political detainees, halt unilateral actions, and ensure the security environment required for elections and development.

“The Revitalized Peace Agreement remains the only viable framework to break the cycle of violence and deliver South Sudan’s first democratic elections,” Pobee said. “Failing this, the risk of relapse into widespread conflict will only grow.”