South Sudan: Western Equatoria prepares for voter registration

Simon Bakama, the president of the state electoral committee, stated that local teams are identifying the agents who will be responsible for enrollment in the counties. Their names must be submitted to the National Election Commission before the official announcement of the operation’s start.

The National Election Commission clarified on September 2 that no registration has yet begun in the country. It plans to conduct manual registration, in person and on paper, with subsequent data entry into its computer systems.

This step comes as the electoral calendar remains under intense political scrutiny. Juba recently dismissed UN warnings regarding the conditions of the election, while authorities had already reaffirmed in April their intention to hold the elections in December 2026.

The National Election Commission also trained electoral officials from the ten states and three administrative areas in registration procedures at the beginning of September. It claims to want to make registration accessible to eligible citizens across the territory.

The NEC indicates that the dates, registration centers, and required documents will be published through official notice. It reminds that any South Sudanese citizen aged at least 18 years on election day must be able to register once the operation is open.