Minister of Information and Government Spokesperson Ateny Wek Ateny stated on Tuesday that the Government of South Sudan will finance the 2026 general elections.

Speaking to the media in Juba, Ateny said the state has resources to support the process. He cited oil revenues and non-oil income as the primary funding sources for the polls.

Ateny dismissed questions regarding the availability of funds, noting that the responsibility for the elections belongs to the government.

“The government has the money because oil is still flowing, although it has some difficulties, and the non-oil revenue is there,” Ateny said. “The conduct of the election will be sponsored by the government because it is the government alone that is going to be conducting the election.”

The Minister also confirmed that South Sudan will transition to a caretaker government before the elections. He stated that the transitional period concludes in December 2026.

Under legal provisions, the current administration must shift to caretaker status 60 days before the end of the transition. This transition is scheduled to occur by October 2026.

Ateny explained that this timeline provides a window to finalize preparations. He identified voter registration and logistics as the priorities for the coming months.

The government maintains that these steps must be completed to meet the end-of-year deadline for the conclusion of the transition.