South Sudan Leadership Salva Kiir Defers Elections, Again!
-
Roshan Amiri
- . August 5, 2022
- . Update: August 6, 2022 12:23 pm
Sudan– South Sudan has yet again postponed elections for another two years, swashing the hopes for legitimate democratic rule. The current transitional government will remain in power, according to President Salva Kiir.
The South Sudanese leadership has been slow to write a new constitution and pave the way for elections. After much deliberation, December would have seen the happening of the elections but instead, this seems to be a distant dream for the next 730 days.
The western world is now skeptical about the peace movement which had come about after a lot of hard work. Between 2013-18, more than 4 million people lost their lives as South Sudan became independent and was busy fighting and internal strife.
The US, Britain and Norway, which have played important roles in mediating South Sudan’s peace process, expressed reservations about the transitional government’s extension.
A peace proposal signed since 2019 has been largely holding with no proper constitution or democratic setup put in place. Since 2013, troops loyal to Mr. Kiir, two years after South Sudan was born, have been fighting with and his longtime rival and vice president Riek Machar.
Related Posts
The UN gave a warning earlier this year of grave concerns among many politicians and civilians in South Sudan that the country may be heading back into conflict.
It pointed to political disputes between Mr. Kiir and Mr. Machar. In May, the UN Security Council renewed an arms embargo against South Sudan, as well as a travel ban and financial sanctions for certain people, amid continuing unrest in the country.
South Sudan is rich in natural resources and one of the most diverse nations in Africa, with more than 60 languages and dozens of ethnic groups.
But 11 years after independence, visitors to the capital Juba will see a country suffering from underdevelopment and extreme poverty — the direct result of five years of civil war that stymied the transformation of the young nation into a viable state.
