Three South Sudanese among regional delegates to observe Uganda’s election

JUBA — Three South Sudanese officials are part of a high-level regional election observation mission drawn from the African Union (AU), the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), and the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD), to monitor the January 15, 2026, general elections in neighbouring Uganda.

The regional mission, officially known as the AU–COMESA–IGAD Election Observation Mission, arrived in Uganda on Friday at the invitation of the Government of Uganda and the country’s Electoral Commission. The delegation comprises 84 short-term observers drawn from across Africa to assess the credibility and conduct of the polls.

South Sudan, the country that is also preparing for its general elections in December 2026, is represented in the mission by William Kolnyin Deng and Mangar Alit Kecuol, both officials of the National Elections Commission (NEC) of South Sudan, alongside Taban Phillip Patrick Attara, a South Sudanese representative to the IGAD Youth Forum for Peace.

South Sudan has not held an election since its independence in 2011. But the participation of the country’s representatives in the observation mission is considered part of the significant regional efforts aimed at promoting democratic governance, electoral transparency, and peaceful political transitions in the Horn of Africa and the wider region.

The joint observation mission is led by Goodluck Jonathan, former President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. He is assisted by Ambassador Shemsudin Ahmed Roble, a member of the COMESA Committee of Elders, and Commander Abebe Muluneh Beyene from IGAD.

Uganda heads to the polls this month, with incumbent President Yoweri Museveni (81) seeking a seventh term against opposition candidate Bobi Wine (43), who is challenging for the National Resistance Movement Chairman for the second time amid a repressive political environment.

Observers have been deployed across all regions of Uganda to monitor key election-day processes, including the opening of polling stations, voting procedures, closing of polls, and vote counting.

The team comprises diplomats accredited to the AU, election management officials, civil society actors, election and human rights experts, gender and media specialists, as well as youth representatives.

According to the joint statement obtained by Sudans Post, the mission will assess Uganda’s elections against national laws as well as continental and international standards, including the AU Declaration on the Principles Governing Democratic Elections, the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance (ACDEG), and the International Declaration of Principles for International Election Observation.

Beyond polling day activities, the observers will engage with Uganda’s Electoral Commission, political parties, the media, civil society organisations, representatives of the international community, and other election observation missions present in the country.

The AU–COMESA–IGAD EOM is expected to issue a preliminary statement outlining its initial findings on January 17, 2026, during a press conference in Kampala. A final and comprehensive report will be released within one month after Uganda’s Electoral Commission announces the final election results.

For South Sudan, the inclusion of NEC officials and a youth peace advocate in the mission underscores the country’s growing engagement in regional democratic processes, even as it continues preparations for its own long-delayed elections.