Salva Kiir Confirms Presidential Bid, Promises Timely Elections
Tuesday in Juba, South Sudan’s leader Salva Kiir vowed that delayed elections scheduled for next year will proceed as scheduled and that he will run for president.
Kiir, a colossal guerrilla commander, has been the sole president of South Sudan since he led the country to independence from Sudan in 2011.
The youngest nation in the world has lurched from crisis to crisis during the tenure of Kiir and vice president Riek Machar, who form a fragile unity government.
The transition period was to conclude with elections in February 2023, but the government has failed to meet key provisions of the agreement, such as drafting a constitution.
“The endorsement to run for president in 2024 is a historic event,” Kiir told supporters of his ruling Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) party.
The election will take place in 2024.
No other candidate has declared candidacy, but Machar, an adversary from the past, is expected to run.
The two leaders extended their transitional government for an additional two years in August, citing the need to address obstacles to the implementation of the peace agreement.
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Tuesday, Kiir stated that these issues would be resolved “before the elections” scheduled for December of next year.
South Sudan, despite its vast oil reserves, is one of the world’s poorest nations and has been at war for nearly half of its existence.
Before Kiir and Machar signed a peace accord in 2018 and formed the unity government, nearly 400,000 people perished in a five-year civil war.
Since then, the country has struggled with flooding, hunger, violence, and political bickering, as the peace agreement’s promises have not materialized.
The United Nations has repeatedly condemned the South Sudanese government for its role in stoking violence, suppressing political freedoms, and looting public coffers.
Nicholas Haysom, the UN envoy to South Sudan, warned in March that 2023 would be a “make or break” year for the country, and its leaders must implement the peace agreement to hold “inclusive and credible” elections.
Haysom emphasized that Juba “clearly stated that there would be no further extensions of the timeline” for the 2024 elections.
Salva Kiir Confirms Presidential Bid, Promises Timely Elections
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