South Sudan will hold long-delayed national elections in December, its information minister said Tuesday, despite mounting fears of renewed civil war.
Information Minister Ateny Wek Ateny insisted the vote would proceed, declaring no further extensions would be allowed beyond the 2026 deadline.
The announcement comes as forces loyal to President Salva Kiir clash with groups loosely aligned with Vice President Riek Machar.
A fragile peace deal signed in 2018 had ended years of brutal conflict, but its foundations now appear fractured and dangerously unstable.
Machar remains under house arrest and faces trial, raising concerns over the inclusiveness and credibility of any forthcoming electoral process.
Elections initially scheduled for 2022 were postponed repeatedly, first to 2024 and now to 2026, reflecting deep political divisions.
If held, the vote would mark South Sudan’s first national elections since gaining independence from Sudan in 2011.
The country continues to struggle with entrenched poverty, widespread corruption, and the failure to unify rival armed forces as required under the peace agreement.
Ateny described the situation as relatively calm, noting only isolated insecurity in eastern Jonglei state, despite ongoing violence.
Clashes have displaced tens of thousands of civilians, while humanitarian agencies report frequent attacks hampering already fragile relief operations.
International concern has intensified, with warnings that the country risks sliding back into full-scale conflict if tensions remain unresolved.
Last week, Jennifer Locetta criticised South Sudan’s leadership at the United Nations, highlighting failures in implementing peace commitments.
She told the Security Council that the nation’s crisis stems not from a lack of agreements, but from a persistent absence of political will.
