South Sudan To Hold First Poll Since Independence

The President of South Sudan, Salva Kiir has said the country’s long-delayed elections will be held next year as planned. President Kiir said he would run for re-election in the polls, the first since the country gained independence.

No other candidate has declared their candidacy but first Vice-President Riek Machar is also expected to run. Mr Kiir has been President since independence in 2011 after a long-running civil war.

But conflict continued even after independence – civil war broke out in 2013 when the president fell out with Mr Machar.

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A power-sharing agreement was signed between the warring parties in August 2018 in a bid to bring the five-year civil war to an end.

The transnational government’s mandate, originally set to conclude in 2022, was extended to allow the leaders sufficient time to address the challenges associated with implementing the peace agreement.

In his Tuesday statement, President Kiir reassured the nation that these challenges would be effectively dealt with “prior to the elections” scheduled for December next year.

The forthcoming elections hold significant importance for South Sudan, as they present an opportunity for the country to shape its political landscape and continue on the path towards stability and development.