Trends in Civic Space and Elections in South Sudan: Findings from the 2025 Public Perceptions of Peace Survey

This report was written by David Deng, Sophia Dawkins, Christopher Oringa, and Jan Pospisil.

This Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES) and PeaceRep survey report examines how the South Sudanese public perceives safety, elections, civic space, and trust in political institutions. The report finds that only around 25% of the respondents feel safe due to worsening insecurity, such as renewed clashes between the government and opposition forces, raising tensions at community and regional levels. Yet, the majority of respondents expressed readiness to vote in the December 2026 elections despite the fear of potential election violence and return to civil war, as well as low trust in political actors. The report recommends renewed efforts to protect civic space, strengthen civil society, and ensure the credibility of elections.