Civil society organizations are calling for urgent and coordinated action to address outstanding challenges ahead of South Sudan’s scheduled elections on December 22, 2026.

The call was made by the South Sudanese Network for Democracy and Elections, SSuNDE, and the East and Horn of Africa Election Observation Network, E-HORN, following the 2026 South Sudan Country Forum held in Juba from September 23 to 24.

The forum, held under the theme “Ready or Not: Assessing South Sudan’s Preparedness for the 22 December 2026 Elections,” brought together electoral institutions, civil society organizations, women and youth representatives, persons with disabilities, media organizations, political and community stakeholders, and regional and international partners.

The organizations say key challenges remain in electoral institutions, the legal and constitutional framework, voter registration, electoral logistics, security, civic and political space, inclusive participation, access to reliable information and electoral dispute resolution.

SSuNDE Chairman James Okony Dau says the remaining time before the elections requires urgent, coordinated and measurable action from all institutions and stakeholders.

He says election credibility depends not only on polling day, but also on the preparedness of electoral institutions, an enabling civic and political environment, inclusive participation, reliable information, security and accessible mechanisms for resolving electoral complaints and disputes.

Meanwhile, the President of the Standard Action Liaison Force, SALF, Lony Ruot, says electoral preparedness should be treated as an institutional and systemic responsibility.

According to the SALF assessment cited in the statement, preparedness was estimated at about 35 percent for the National Elections Commission, 20 percent for the security sector and 15 percent for the judiciary and electoral dispute-resolution mechanisms, against a 50 percent minimum preparedness benchmark.

The statement clarifies that these figures are findings of SALF’s assessment and are not official performance ratings of the institutions.

The East and Horn of Africa Election Observation Network is also calling for greater inclusion in the electoral process, particularly for women, youth, persons with disabilities, displaced people, returnees and other underserved communities.

E-HORN further warns that misinformation, disinformation and weak data-protection safeguards could undermine public confidence in the electoral process.

The organization is calling for strengthened civic and voter education, accurate and accessible electoral information, responsible media reporting and an environment that allows peaceful civic and political participation.

The Country Forum identified several areas requiring immediate attention, including voter registration, electoral logistics, voter education, legal and constitutional clarity, civic and political freedoms, election security, inclusive participation, access to information, data protection and electoral dispute resolution.

SSuNDE and E-HORN are also calling on the National Elections Commission to demonstrate its independence and impartiality, publish and regularly update a comprehensive electoral timetable, strengthen consultation with stakeholders and establish accessible mechanisms for handling electoral complaints and disputes.

The two organizations are urging national, regional and international partners to provide technical assistance, capacity building, electoral observation support and other forms of cooperation to strengthen the electoral process.

They say a credible election depends on the entire electoral environment, rather than polling day alone, and have called for sustained cooperation to ensure a peaceful, inclusive, transparent, lawful and credible electoral process.