South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir has announced that the country’s long-awaited elections will finally take place next year, as originally planned. President Kiir himself has expressed his intention to seek re-election, marking the first elections since South Sudan gained independence. While no other candidates have officially declared their candidacy yet, it is widely expected that First Vice-President Riek Machar will also run.
President Kiir has been in office since the country’s independence in 2011, following a protracted civil war. Despite achieving independence, South Sudan has experienced ongoing conflicts, with a major outbreak of civil war in 2013 due to a falling out between President Kiir and Mr. Machar. In an effort to bring an end to the five-year civil war, a power-sharing agreement was signed between the warring parties in August 2018.
The transitional government’s mandate, originally set to conclude in 2022, was extended to allow the leaders more time to address challenges in implementing the peace agreement. President Kiir affirmed on Tuesday that these challenges would be tackled “before the elections” scheduled for December of next year.
