The ClarityDeskAugust 1, 2026
South Sudan’s National Elections Commission (NEC) has proposed the creation of three new geographical constituencies on a temporary basis to address long-standing territorial disputes ahead of the country’s scheduled general elections on December 22, 2026.
NEC Chairperson Prof. Abednego Akok Kacuol announced this new proposal following his meeting with President Salva Kiir Mayardit on July 10, 2026.
According to NEC Chairperson Prof. Abednego Akok Kacuol, the proposal seeks to prevent electoral disputes in areas where administrative boundaries remain contested and could affect the conduct of credible polls.
Under the proposal, the commission plans to establish separate constituencies for the disputed areas of Abyei Special Administrative Area, Abiemnom County in Ruweng Administrative Area, and Mayom County in the oil-rich state of Unity State.
According to Eye Radio, the creation of three new graphical constituencies aimed to address long-standing territorial disputes that could affect the conduct of peaceful and credible elections.
Previously, the National Elections Commission confirmed 102 constituencies for December 2026 general elections.
According to the chair of the National Elections Commission, Prof. Abednego Akok Kacuol, the country would use the 2010 geographical constituency boundaries in the absence of a new national census.
The move aligns with the National Elections Act, 2012, amended in 2023, when no updated population data is available.
Under this arrangement, the commission declared a total of 102 legislative constituencies distributed across South Sudan’s ten states and three administrative areas.
Central Equatoria State leads with 14 constituencies, followed by Eastern Equatoria with 11 and Western Equatoria with 8.
Jonglei State, including the Greater Pibor Administrative Area, has the highest allocation at 17 constituencies, while Upper Nile and Warrap (with Abyei) have 12 each.
Unity State (including Ruweng) accounts for 7; Lakes has 8; Northern Bahr el Ghazal has 9; and Western Bahr el Ghazal has the fewest at 4.
This article is published by The ClarityDesk through the Young Journalists Media Integrity Fellowship, with support from the AHEAD Africa and Digitalise Youth projects, led by the Digital Democracy Initiative.
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