South Sudan cancels 2018 peace deal, clearing way for December elections
South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir Mayardit signed an amendment to the 2018 peace agreement, effectively cancelling the coalition government that had brought relative peace to the country for seven years.
The move, however, clears the legal path for national elections scheduled for December 2026, by dodging crucial implementation pillars of the 2018 deal, which had included security reforms, census and a voters’ roll.
After he assented to the Revitalised Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan (R-ARCSS), 2018, (Amendment 2026) on Wednesday, Kiir said that South Sudan was now ready for elections.
Previously, the conduct of elections was tied to the completion of the permanent constitution-making process and a national population census.
This will now allow electoral preparations to proceed under the Transitional Constitution and existing electoral laws without delay.
“The executive branch, under the leadership of the ministry of Presidential Affairs and the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, is prepared to undertake the next phase of implementation,” the statement from the Office of President Kiir read.
“This includes harmonising the Transitional Constitution of South Sudan (TCRSS 2011), as amended, with the newly enacted provisions, as well as aligning the National Elections Act to ensure full consistency with the revised constitutional and legal framework.”
Kiir, however, argued that the amendment represents a major step in advancing the implementation of the Revitalised Peace Agreement and reinforces the government’s commitment to delivering peaceful, credible and constitutional elections in December 2026.
Before pushing for the amendments, Kiir had argued that South Sudan was delaying the polls while also unable to implement the pillar of the deal. However, the amendments were introduced after he suspended his First Vice-President, Riek Machar, who is currently under house arrest and facing treason charges.
Machar, leader of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-in Opposition (SPLM-IO) had been a principal named in the 2018 peace deal alongside Salva Kiir. Several other movements had signed the agreement, but it is the two who were mentioned by name.
With amendments, however, it means that the 2018 deal is no longer the constitution for the country, and that original signatories no longer have a say in events from now on.
Later, speaking during a televised interview in Juba on July 23, 2026, Kiir defended the decision to create a power-sharing government with five vice presidents, saying the arrangement was necessary to end conflict and maintain peace.
“I thank the South Sudanese for their endurance. They must go in for elections, and registration of voters will start very soon. I want them to register in big numbers so that when they go to vote, they pick their leaders. The peace agreement must be maintained. People must remain united and should not fragment into tribes,” said Kiir on Citizen TV.
The five deputies were a creation of the 2018 peace deal, which was mediated by regional bloc Intergovernmental Authority on Development (Igad). Igad and the African Union have insisted on freeing Machar top save the peace deal, something Kiir rejected.
He said registration of voters will soon start and urged them to register when the time comes.
In separate meetings, President Kiir also received reports about the situation in Abyei, which is currently a source of controversy with Sudan.
Chief Administrator of the Abyei Administrative Area, Justice Charles Abyei Jok, and the Deputy Governor of Western Bahr el Ghazal State briefed Kiir, with discussions focusing on security, economic conditions, governance, and preparations for December elections.
Among the issues presented was a proposal concerning electoral representation for the area, including the establishment of Abyei as a standalone constituency to strengthen local representation and enable residents to directly elect leaders dedicated to advancing the Abyei Special Administrative Area.