Juba, 16 October 2026 – The Chairperson of the National Elections Commission (NEC), Hon. Gabriel Bol Deng, returned to the country on Friday following an official follow-up visit to South Africa in the wake of a recent high-level meeting between the President of the Republic of South Sudan, General Salva Kiir Mayardit, and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, at which both leaders discussed electoral preparations as South Sudan continues to prepare for the December 2026 general elections.
Hon. Bol Deng met his counterparts from the Electoral Commission of South Africa and other government representatives to discuss an electoral cooperation agreement to garner support for critical electoral operations, which require a concerted and actionable effort, both internationally and in the country, to ensure that the elections are successful as planned and in accordance with the National Elections Act, 2012, as amended in 2026.
The primary areas of focus of the cooperation agreement include electoral materials; institutional strengthening for electoral staff; visibility for elections security personnel during the elections; and the digitization of NEC operational systems.
Addressing the media at Juba International Airport upon his arrival, Hon. Bol Deng said that South Africa and South Sudan are working towards the timely implementation of electoral discussions for the successful conduct of the December polls, for the benefit of the two nations.
South Sudan last held elections in 2010, which culminated in the independence of South Sudan on 9 July 2011, fulfilling a popular historical demand by South Sudanese, as symbolized by the 1947 Juba Conference, in which chiefs from the then southern regions demanded self-rule from the British colonial administration.
Public anticipation and momentum for the forthcoming elections remain high, with a vast majority of South Sudanese at home and in the diaspora, including several prominent opposition figures, supporting the elections this year. Many citizens hope that the elections will bring economic relief, improved security and service delivery.
The National Elections Commission is mandated by law to organize and administer elections and to ensure inclusive, free, fair, transparent, independent and credible elections that reflect the will of the people of South Sudan.