Juba (AFP) - South Sudan is preparing to hold the first elections in its history in December, but indications of preparations for the vote are almost non-existent, except for a massive campaign to recruit new police officers.

Published on: 03/11/2026 - 11:27

The country suffers from chronic insecurity and poverty, exacerbated by rampant levels of corruption, which has made it ranked first among the most corrupt countries in the world, according to Transparency International.

The United Nations and the African Union have expressed doubts about the country's readiness for the elections scheduled for December 22, but President Salva Kiir is moving ahead with organizing them in an effort to extend his 15-year rule.

Ahead of the repeatedly postponed elections to choose a president and parliament, the government has implemented almost none of the conditions stipulated in the 2018 peace agreement that ended the last civil war, including drawing up a new constitution and registering voters.

But it has begun recruiting police officers, as National Police spokesman Daniel Justin confirmed to Agence France-Presse that the authorities are working to recruit ten thousand people in ten states, including three thousand in Northern Bahr El Ghazal State and 1,200 in Central Equatoria State.

Justin said that the new recruits will join 70,000 police officers across the country.

However, the previously announced numbers of police officers were questionable, as an audit conducted in 2013 revealed the presence of 16,000 “fake” police officers registered on paper only.

One of the recruits told AFP, "I joined the recruitment campaign for influence, coordination, and to protect my property."

The 18-year-old soldier added, "No one takes you into consideration if you are not a member of the armed forces."

Recruitment raises concerns among some activists and analysts who believe that the campaign has little to do with the elections.

A human rights activist in the city of Aweil in Northern Bahr el Ghazal State, who requested to remain anonymous, said, “The police officers who are currently being recruited are not intended for the elections, but rather are used by the ruling party (...) to control the situation.”

The activist believes that holding elections is unlikely, and that the recruitment campaign aims to ensure "the government remains in power."

Juba-based human rights activist Edmund Yakani agreed with him, saying, “We feel that this extensive training of police officers may be aimed at protecting the president’s position in the elections.”

The crisis of the absence of documents

But Northern Bahr el Ghazal State Police spokesman Madut Ngong Aliu confirmed that the new elements would be used to "secure the upcoming elections."

He explained that they will be deployed in voter registration centers and polling stations, in addition to assuming protection duties.

While the government confirms the start of the voter registration process, it faces great difficulties, most notably the fact that 90% of the population does not hold officially recognized identity documents, according to a World Bank report issued in July.

The United Nations Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan has repeatedly warned that the country is not ready to hold elections.

In October, the committee considered that political steps, including the dismissal of vice presidents and the absence of a constitution, amounted to a “constitutional coup.”

In the capital, Juba, there are no signs of preparation for the elections.

The main opposition leader, Riek Machar, is in prison on treason charges, while sporadic clashes erupt between his forces and Kiir's army forces.

A UN report last year revealed that South Sudan's leaders had seized billions of dollars in oil revenues, leaving it to foreign donors and non-governmental organizations to finance services such as health care.

Officials told AFP that the government is funding the police recruitment campaign without foreign aid, but they refused to provide details.

Activist Yakani said, "When the government says that it does not have the resources to finance the elections, but it does have the resources to train the police... it is clear that the money is allocated to security as a priority."

"Relying on strength"

South Sudan has witnessed violence since its independence, including a civil war between 2013 and 2018 that killed about 400,000 people, according to estimates.

Frequent clashes between political rivals, as well as violent cattle rustling, are prompting some residents to welcome increased police numbers.

“I think if law enforcement agencies were there, they would be able to control crimes,” said Akok James Garang, a resident of Northern Bahr el Ghazal state.

But International Crisis Group analyst Daniel Akic sees worrying signs in the recruitment campaign.

He told AFP that South Sudanese "may not accept these elections, and in this case, the government may want to rely on force, which may explain its desire to recruit more people."

"The goal will not just be to ensure peace during the elections," he added.

© 2026 AFP

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