Major General Bior Leek Kuareng rep of FDs at CTSAMVM Technical Committee, speaking during a CTSAMVM Technical Committee meeting in Juba on Thursday| Obaj Okuj

A member of South Sudan’s ceasefire monitoring body has expressed doubts over the possibility of holding elections this year, citing delays in funding the National Elections Commission.

Major General Bior Leek Kuareng, a senior representative of the Former Detainees in the Ceasefire Transitional Security Arrangements Monitoring and Verification Mechanism (CTSAMVM), said the government has yet to release funds needed to prepare for the polls despite only a few months remaining before the expected elections.

Speaking during a CTSAMVM Technical Committee meeting in Juba on Thursday, Bior said he does not believe elections will take place in 2026.

“On elections, I myself, I don’t believe that there will be elections,” Bior said. “Already we are at the end of May. We remain with five months. No funds or money have been released to the National Elections Commission.”

South Sudan is expected to hold elections as part of the implementation of the 2018 Revitalized Peace Agreement, but concerns remain over delays in key provisions of the accord, including security arrangements and institutional reforms.

Bior stressed that implementation of security arrangements must come before any elections are conducted, warning that failure to unify forces could undermine the credibility of the process.

“If there are elections, then security arrangements must be implemented,” he said. “It is important to stop the monopoly of one party in the elections. If today one party is in charge of the elections, then we are going to lose the integrity of those elections.”

He further stated that the legitimacy of the Transitional Government is rooted in the 2018 peace agreement and cautioned against actions that could weaken the deal.

Despite his concerns, Bior noted that ceasefire violations have significantly reduced and that there are currently no major clashes reported across the country.

He urged all parties to uphold the ceasefire and avoid actions that could return the country to conflict.