Civil society leader Edmund Yakani has issued a stark warning to President Salva Kiir, saying the government has until 22 December 2025 to resolve the country’s nine-month political stalemate or risk triggering a full collapse of the Revitalized Government of National Unity.
Yakani, the Executive Director of CEPO, said the prolonged impasse combined with stalled implementation of key provisions of the 2018 peace agreement has pushed South Sudan to the edge of a legitimacy crisis ahead of the 2026 general elections.
“If the political leadership fails to take decisive action before the deadline, the unity government will face a serious legitimacy meltdown,” Yakani warned.
He cited the ongoing trial of suspended First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar, the detention of some of his party officials, and the rising use of military confrontation as political tools, warning that these developments are deepening mistrust and destabilizing the already fragile political environment.
Yakani accused certain political actors of trying to engineer a scenario where only executive elections are conducted in 2026 leaving members of the current parliament in place.
He described the tactic as undemocratic and a direct threat to South Sudan’s standing within the East African Community.
“Any attempt to hold only executive elections, or to delay the polls entirely, will force us to take legal action at the East African Court of Justice,” he declared.
CEPO is calling on President Kiir to urgently convene an inclusive national political dialogue bringing together all parties, stakeholders, and civic actors to break the deadlock and restore momentum to the peace process.
“Dragging feet on the remaining peace tasks is dangerous. It threatens not only the legitimacy of the government but the broader stability of the nation,” Yakani stressed.
With just one year remaining before the scheduled 2026 elections, CEPO says time is running out. The organization warns that without an immediate political breakthrough, South Sudan risks facing the most severe governance crisis since the signing of the 2018 peace agreement.
