JUBA, South Sudan — President Salva Kiir has dissolved South Sudan’s transitional government and appointed a caretaker administration, three months before the country’s first national elections since independence in 2011.
The move came hours after Kiir signed amendments to the National Elections Act removing requirements for a permanent constitution and national census to be completed before the elections.
The presidential election is scheduled for December 22, 2026, although voter registration has yet to begin.
Kiir Retains Full Powers
Under the new arrangement, Kiir will remain in office with full constitutional powers throughout the election period until an elected president is sworn in.
The dissolution removed the country’s five vice-presidents, ministers and local administrators and dissolved the national and state legislative assemblies.
A caretaker administration has been appointed to run the government during the electoral period.
The changes effectively bring an end to the power-sharing arrangement established under the 2018 peace agreement between Kiir and his longtime rival, Riek Machar.
Elections Have Been Delayed Repeatedly
South Sudan gained independence from Sudan in 2011, but elections have repeatedly been postponed as the country struggled to implement key provisions of its peace agreements.
The 2018 agreement established a transitional power-sharing government and was intended to pave the way for elections, a permanent constitution and other political reforms.
Those milestones were repeatedly delayed, with the latest transitional extension originally due to run until February 2027.
The amendments signed by Kiir remove the requirement for the permanent constitution and census to be completed before the December vote, clearing a major legal obstacle to the election timetable.
Kiir Is Seeking Another Term
Kiir is the presidential candidate of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM).
His main political rival, Riek Machar, who leads the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement in Opposition (SPLM-IO), has been under house arrest since March 2025 and is facing charges including treason and murder, which he denies.
Machar had been appointed first vice-president under the 2018 peace agreement after years of conflict between forces loyal to him and Kiir.
The SPLM-IO has said it will not participate in the December elections, arguing that key constitutional, security and legal reforms have not been completed.
Opposition Questions Credibility of Poll
The SPLM-IO has warned the African Union and other organisations that South Sudan has entered what it describes as a “constitutional and legitimacy crisis.”
Acting SPLM-IO chairman Nathaniel Oyet questioned how elections could be conducted in areas the government does not fully control.
The opposition has rejected the amended electoral framework and said it will not participate in or legitimise what it considers an incomplete electoral process.
These are the opposition’s stated objections and do not by themselves determine the legal status or eventual credibility of the election.
Security Tightens in Juba
The government changes came amid heightened security in the capital, Juba.
Soldiers from the army and national security services were reported around government ministries and in parts of the city as the dissolution was announced.
Government staff were reportedly turned away from some ministries and told to return the following week.
UN agencies in Juba also instructed staff to work remotely while the situation was monitored.
Electoral Commission Leadership Changed
The changes come shortly after Kiir removed the chairman of the National Elections Commission, Abednego Akok Kacuol, without publicly giving a reason.
He was replaced by the commission’s secretary-general, Gabriel Bol Deng.
Akok had previously said the commission required approximately $250 million to conduct the election but had received only about $21 million.
The commission is now expected to proceed with preparations for voter registration and the December poll.
Peace Monitors Call for Agreement
The Reconstituted Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (RJMEC), which oversees implementation of the 2018 peace agreement, has described South Sudan as being in a critical phase.
The body has urged political parties to agree on a path towards credible elections and a peaceful conclusion to the country’s prolonged transitional period.
