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Today, 22 September 2026, marks an important milestone in the implementation of the Revitalised Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan (R-ARCSS), as the country enters a critical phase of the transition towards the scheduled general elections on 22 December 2026.
In September 2024, the Parties, by consensus and in accordance with Article 8.4 of the Agreement, extended the Transitional Period by 24 months, from 22 February 2025 to 22 February 2027, and rescheduled the elections to December 2026. The extension was subsequently ratified by the Transitional National Legislature and assented to by the President of the Republic of South Sudan.
22 September 2026, therefore, comes at a particularly consequential stage of the implementation of the Agreement, with only three months remaining before the scheduled general elections, as announced by the National Elections Commission for 22 December 2026. This is in accordance with Article 1.20.5 of the R-ARCSS, which provides for the National Elections Commission to organise elections 60 days before the end of the Transitional Period.
As recently guided by Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) during its 74th Session of the Council of Ministers, held in Djibouti on 15 September 2026, the R-ARCSS remains the sole viable framework for lasting peace, while the elections remain anchored in the Agreement that established the Transitional Period. All efforts must therefore, be exerted to ensure the conduct of credible, peaceful, free and fair elections to bring the Transitional Period to an end and establish a democratically elected government. In this regard, IGAD called for inclusive dialogue among the Parties and stakeholders to restore confidence and clarify a consensus-based pathway to elections in December 2026.
Against this backdrop, and in light of recent legislative changes undertaken in preparation for the elections, the Reconstituted Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission ( RJMEC) welcomes the planned Inter-Party Dialogue scheduled to commence on 24 September 2026 and urges all Parties to embrace genuine dialogue and agree on an inclusive and practical pathway towards credible elections and a peaceful conclusion of the Transitional Period.
RJMEC further urges the Parties to adhere to the letter and spirit of the R-ARCSS and demonstrate the necessary political will to complete the deferred outstanding critical tasks of the Agreement, particularly those relating to the security arrangements, judicial reforms, permanent constitution-making, economic reforms, transitional justice, and other provisions essential to building a viable nation founded on lasting peace, stability, reconciliation, accountability, good governance and constitutionalism.
RJMEC emphasises that the significance of 22 September should not be viewed in isolation from the broader implementation framework of the R-ARCSS. The current phase requires all Parties to remain committed to the Agreement and ensure that the transition proceeds and concludes in a manner that preserves peace, stability and national cohesion.
The Commission encourages the Parties to use the remaining period constructively and responsibly, including through continued engagement within the Inter-Party Dialogue and other mechanisms established to address outstanding political and implementation-related issues. The people of South Sudan deserve a credible political process, a peaceful transition, and a democratically elected government based on the rule of law. As an oversight body,
RJMEC's mandate under Chapter VII of the R-ARCSS is to monitor, evaluate and report on the status of implementation of the Agreement and adherence, or lack thereof, by the Parties and the Revitalised Transitional Government of National Unity (RTGoNU), and to recommend appropriate remedial measures to the RTGoNU.
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