Delayed Elections in South Sudan and the Risk of Renewed Instability
Authors: Kehinde Olaniyan & Jacqueline Du Bois
Editors: Sakura Morales & Chi Chu
South Sudan's December 2026 elections face significant uncertainty as implementation of the 2018 Revitalised Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan (R-ARCSS) remains incomplete. Weak state institutions, persistent political tensions between leaders, disruptions to oil revenues, and competing strategic interests among external actors continue to undermine the peace process and threaten the country's stability.
This report assesses the barriers to implementing the R-ARCSS and evaluates the risks these challenges pose to South Sudan's political stability and security.
