Amnesty International urged South Sudanese authorities on Tuesday called for the protection of fundamental freedoms and civic space to ensure the legitimacy of the upcoming measures Choose scheduled for December 22, 2026.
Tigere Chagutah, Amnesty International’s regional director for Eastern and Southern Africa, said:
Ahead of these long-awaited and historic elections, the South Sudanese authorities must ensure that there is an enabling environment for people’s right to vote and stand, including respect for and enjoyment of human rights and freedom from discrimination and arbitrary or unnecessary and disproportionate restrictions.
Chagutah also called on authorities to take necessary measures to ensure the rights to freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly and to end intimidation of journalists and civil society actors, stressing that authorities must create conditions that allow citizens to participate in public affairs without fear. In this context, he referred to South Sudan’s previous record repressive measures and restrictions imposed by authorities to silence dissent and critics.
Finally, Amnesty International’s Regional Director emphasized that the legitimacy of an election depends not only on how it is held, but also on whether people can exercise their rights freely, safely and equally.
The upcoming parliamentary elections in South Sudan are a long-awaited event and the first since the country’s official creation Share from Sudan in 2011. The election date has previously been postponed five times due to various factors, including the outbreak of the Civil War in 2013. Although a Peace agreement Although reached in 2018, the situation continued to deteriorate and violence escalated to the point of possible full-scale war. In addition, the UN Human Rights Commission in South Sudan reported in August increasing clashes between rival parties in the run-up to the elections. On September 12, the ongoing violence prompted the UN to issue a fresh warning about the situation, reporting several atrocities against civilians.
In July, President Salva Kiir Mayardit enacted a law amending the 2018 peace agreement by removing previously required conditions for holding elections, such as the national census and the creation of a constitution, and postponing both processes until after the elections. On September 22nd, the President dissolved South Sudan’s interim government highlighted the need to avoid a further extension of the transition period and prepare the country for general elections.
