STAFF- President Salva Kiir Mayardit has dissolved South Sudan’s Transitional Government of National Unity and appointed a caretaker administration to oversee government affairs ahead of the general elections scheduled for December 22, 2026.
The presidential order was announced on Tuesday, September 22, following the signing into law of amendments to the National Elections Act. The changes removed legal provisions that had linked the elections to the completion of a permanent constitution and a national census.
The dissolution brings an end to the power-sharing transitional government established under the 2018 Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan.
Under the order, President Kiir remains in office throughout the electoral period until a newly elected president assumes office. The First Vice President and the four other Vice Presidents have been relieved of their positions. The national legislature, state governments and state legislative assemblies have also been dissolved.
The caretaker administration is intended to maintain the functioning of government during the electoral period and avoid an institutional vacuum as the country moves toward the December polls.
The caretaker appointments also include officials at the subnational level, including governors for the ten states and chief administrators for the three administrative areas.
Former Speaker of Parliament Joseph Ngere Paciko has also been appointed Presidential Adviser on Governance.
The dissolution comes as the National Elections Commission prepares for voter registration and other electoral activities ahead of the December 22 polls. The NEC unveiled its voter registration materials on September 22 but has not yet announced the exact date for the start of voter registration.
The elections have been repeatedly delayed since independence, with the latest transition under the 2018 peace agreement originally expected to lead to elections earlier. Outstanding processes include voter registration, the permanent constitution-making process and security-sector arrangements
