Africa & Middle East · reference
🇸🇸 South Sudan
Presidential republic under a stalled peace agreement
SystemPresidential republic under a stalled peace agreement
Head of statePresident Salva Kiir Mayardit (head of state and government)
LegislatureReconstituted Transitional National Legislative Assembly · about 550 appointed members
ElectionsNo national elections have ever been held since independence in 2011 · votes have been postponed repeatedly
Next election2026-12-22 · first-ever general elections scheduled, widely doubted
The world's youngest state has been governed without an electoral mandate since 2011, through civil war and a power-sharing deal with Riek Machar that neared collapse after his 2025 arrest and renewed fighting. Oil exports, dependent on pipelines through war-torn Sudan, provide nearly all revenue. Humanitarian agencies count most of the population as needing assistance.
Live encyclopedic leader and election records · verified 2026-07-02
The Margin models elections where a competitive public record exists · all countries