Audio Brief: South Sudan Sets 22 December for Historic Polls

(JUBA, CENTRAL EQUATORIA) – South Sudan will head to its first post independence general elections on 22 December 2026, the National Elections Commission has announced.

Commission Chairperson Professor Abednego Akok Kacuol told journalists at the NEC headquarters in Juba on Monday that the date meets the legal requirement of at least six months’ notice under the National Elections Act 2012, as amended in 2023. South Sudan has not held a national vote since gaining independence in 2011. The poll follows a fourth extension of the transitional period, agreed in September 2024, which pushed elections from December 2024 to December 2026.

Health authorities in Morobo County are calling for urgent Ebola surveillance along the porous border with the Democratic Republic of Congo. Commissioner Joseph Mawa Okuba, who chairs the county Ebola Emergency Preparedness Taskforce, said an Ebola case has been confirmed at A’di Hospital in the DRC, roughly 20 kilometres from the South Sudan border. He described the situation as a serious public health threat. Uganda has already closed its borders with the DRC after cases were reported in Ituri Province and Uganda’s Budibujo District. Commissioner Mawa said screening measures exist at the Kaya border point between South Sudan and Uganda, but no surveillance systems are in place along the South Sudan DRC border inside Morobo County. He has formally asked the International Organization for Migration and its partner, the Support for Peace, Education and Development Program, to urgently deploy emergency screening teams to key entry points.

Central Equatoria State Governor Emmanuel Adil has returned to Juba after a county wide tour of Kajo Keji County. He arrived at Juba International Airport on Tuesday morning and was met by Deputy Governor Paulino Lukudu Obede, Juba City Council Mayor Christopher Sarafino Wani Swaka, and other state officials. Speaking after his return, Governor Adil said his administration remains committed to delivering on promises made during the visit, especially on peace, service delivery, and development. At the State Palace, the Deputy Governor briefed him on the security situation across Central Equatoria State, reporting that conditions remain largely peaceful despite a few isolated incidents that security forces are working to contain.

A five kilometre marathon called “Run for Peace and Development” will take place in Juba on 12 July 2026. The Central Equatoria State Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports launched the event in partnership with IMAGINE Academy and the Israeli Embassy in South Sudan. State Minister Bush Buse said the race will bring together students, government institutions, communities, and the public to promote mental and physical wellbeing, peaceful coexistence, and reconciliation. The run starts at 6:00 a.m. from Rainbow Playground in Munuki, follows Bilpam Road, turns near the Funeral House, and returns to the starting point. Joseph William Lado, President of the Juba Local Athletics Association, welcomed the initiative, saying sport builds unity and emotional wellbeing among young people and communities.

The Bank of South Sudan has dismissed online claims that its Governor said rats damaged 3 trillion South Sudanese Pounds in storage. In a statement on its official Facebook page on Wednesday, the bank called the information entirely false and fabricated. It said no such remarks were ever made by the Governor or any authorised representative. The central bank warned the claim is designed to undermine public confidence in the financial system. It urged the public and media to disregard the story and rely only on verified channels, including its official website and Facebook page, for accurate information.

Parliament has announced the death of MP Anthony Kudus, who represented Kajo Keji in Central Equatoria State. A statement from the Office of the Speaker on 23 June 2026 said he passed away at dawn in Juba. The Assembly described his death as a significant loss, noting he served his constituents and the nation with dedication. Speaker Joseph Ngere Paciko extended condolences to the family, relatives, friends, and constituents. Details of parliamentary tributes and funeral arrangements will be shared later.

Speaker Paciko also announced that parliament will hold a National Parliamentary Prayer Breakfast on 7 and 8 July at the assembly premises in Juba. The two day gathering, under the theme “One Nation, One People, One Future: Seeking God’s Wisdom for Peace and Elections 2026,” will bring together legislators and stakeholders to pray for peace and credible elections. Paciko said the event, organised through a parliamentary prayer caucus, aims to foster national unity, reconciliation, and moral accountability ahead of the December vote.

In foreign news, a UN report says sexual violence is being used on an unprecedented scale as a weapon of war in Sudan to terrorise civilians. Sudan has been gripped by civil war since 2023 following a split between the army and the Rapid Support Forces. Separately, the United Kingdom and six other European nations have called for an immediate halt to violence in el Obeid city amid fears the RSF is preparing a major assault to capture it.