South Sudan Moves First National Election to February 11

South Sudan's National Elections Commission has moved the country's presidential and legislative elections from December 22 to February 11, according to The New York Times. Officials said on November 14, 2026 that the first national election in the country's history would be postponed.

Information Minister Ateny Wek Ateny said the delay would give more time to register voters and educate them about the process. South Sudan has never held a national election, so the registration and voter education work is new territory for its electoral bodies.

The country gained independence from Sudan in 2011. President Salva Kiir has ruled since then, and the years since independence have been dominated by conflict between his government and armed groups.

Civil war broke out in 2013 between government forces and fighters loyal to Riek Machar, a former rebel leader. Under a 2018 peace agreement, Machar became vice president in a transitional government meant to lead the country toward elections. That arrangement has since broken down. Machar was placed under house arrest in Juba, the capital, and charged with treason, amid unraveling of the peace deal since March 2025.

The violence continues to take a heavy toll. More than 200 people were killed in March in a massacre in Unity State, near the border with Sudan, according to human rights groups.

Hunger is also widespread. According to the Famine Early Warning Systems Network, more than 8 million of South Sudan's roughly 12 million people need food assistance.