Geoffrey Onyeama, head of African Union Pre-election and Needs Assessment Mission, was received by Amb. Agnes Adlino Orifa Oswaha, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs at Juba International Airport on Sunday, 23 August 2026 (Photo by MOFA PU)
JUBA — An African Union Pre-Election and Needs Assessment Mission has arrived in South Sudan to assess the country’s preparedness for the planned December 2026 general elections.
The mission, led by former Nigerian Foreign Affairs Minister Geoffrey Onyeama, met with South Sudan Foreign Affairs Minister James Pitia Morgan to discuss preparations for the polls and the challenges facing the electoral process.
James Pitia Morgan, South Sudan’s minister of foreign affairs, welcomed the delegation and expressed the government’s appreciation for the African Union’s continued engagement in support of South Sudan’s democratic process.
He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to providing a conducive environment for free, fair, transparent, and credible elections in December 2026.
The minister also welcomed the mission’s planned consultations with government institutions and other stakeholders, describing them as an important part of broader preparations for the elections.
Geoffrey Onyeama, head of delegation and former minister of foreign affairs of Nigeria, said the mission’s visit forms part of the African Union’s efforts to support democratic governance in its member states.
He said the delegation would engage the government and a broad range of stakeholders to assess the level of preparedness for the elections, identify key challenges, and determine areas where additional support may be required.
Onyeama thanked the South Sudanese government for its cooperation and for facilitating the mission’s consultations with various stakeholders.
The discussions focused on the country’s electoral preparations and highlighted the importance of continued cooperation between South Sudan and the African Union as the December polls approach.
South Sudan is scheduled to hold its first general elections since gaining independence in 2011 on December 22, 2026.
The elections have been repeatedly postponed since independence.
The country’s first post-independence elections were initially expected in 2015 but were delayed amid political instability, conflict, and institutional challenges.
Following the 2018 Revitalized Peace Agreement, elections were expected at the end of the transitional period, but the vote was again postponed from December 2024 to December 2026.
