South Sudan Postpones First Elections in Its History to February 11
South Sudan has postponed its first-ever elections to February 11 amid warnings of unpreparedness and ongoing conflicts.
Translated by Qiyas from الجريدة — Original source
Elections had been scheduled for December 22, after being postponed twice in the country, which is grappling with widespread political and ethnic conflict.
Ahun Malo Luith, the Secretary-General of the National Elections Commission, confirmed the postponement of the elections to AFP, without providing further details.
South Sudan declared its independence in 2011 following its separation from Sudan.
However, a civil war broke out in 2013, sparked by a power struggle between President Salva Kiir and his former Vice President Riek Machar, resulting in the deaths of approximately 400,000 people and displacing four million.
The 2018 peace agreement stipulated a power-sharing arrangement between Kiir and Machar, with Kiir remaining president and Machar serving as vice president, during a transitional period that was supposed to conclude in 2022 with elections that have been postponed multiple times.
Hopes for holding the elections gradually faded as the deadline approached. According to the Electoral Commission, out of 3,161 voter registration centers, essential equipment had only reached those located in the capitals of the ten federal states and the three administrative areas.
For its part, the UN Human Rights Commission in South Sudan has repeatedly warned that the country is unprepared to hold elections. In October, the commission described steps such as the dismissal of vice presidents and the absence of a constitution as a “constitutional coup,” noting that voting “under such circumstances” risks “igniting war.”
Despite the postponement, voter registration is scheduled to begin on Saturday, with voting expected on February 11 and results to be announced on the 15th.
