South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir enacted amendments that dissolved the transitional government, parliament, and national and state governments, positioning the country for its first election since gaining independence in 2011. The dissolution came roughly three months before voting is scheduled for 22 December. Under the amended law signed on Monday, Kiir removed the country’s five vice-presidents and designated himself to retain full constitutional powers until an elected president takes office. He subsequently reappointed select ministers and governors in temporary caretaker roles to oversee operations until the election.
Kiir, who leads the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM), stands as the party’s presidential candidate for the December poll. To date, no significant political figures have announced candidacies to challenge him. The primary opposition leader, Riek Machar, was dismissed from his vice-presidential position in the preceding year and subsequently charged with treason. Machar currently remains under house arrest. His appointment to the vice-presidency had been part of a 2018 peace agreement intended to conclude a five-year civil conflict involving forces aligned with the two leaders.
The announcement was preceded by heightened security operations in the capital city of Juba, where military and national security personnel restricted entry to government buildings and conducted patrols throughout sections of the city. Government staff attempting to report for work were redirected and instructed to return the following Monday. UN agencies operating in Juba requested personnel to perform duties remotely pending assessment of the situation.
Logistical obstacles have emerged regarding election preparations. Kiir dismissed the national elections commission chairman, Abednego Akok Kacuol, without providing explanation, replacing him with Gabriel Bol Deng, the commission’s secretary-general. Earlier, Akok had publicly stated that conducting the election would require $250m but the commission had only obtained $21m in funding.
Additional complications stem from opposition resistance. The Sudan People’s Liberation Movement in Opposition (SPLM-IO), associated with Machar, cautioned citizens against participating in election preparations in territories under its control. The body responsible for monitoring the 2018 peace accord implementation, the Reconstituted Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (RJMEC), characterized South Sudan as entering a “critical phase,” noting that multiple significant discussions outlined in the agreement remained incomplete. The transitional period, extended for an additional 24 months, was originally scheduled to conclude on 22 February 2027.
Article Attribution | Read More at Article Source
Article summary produced by Claude AI