South Sudanese President Salva Kiir returned to the capital, Juba, on Friday after six days of engagements in Kenya and South Africa, where he discussed the country’s peace process and preparations for elections scheduled for December, his office said.
Kiir travelled to Kenya on Sunday, Oct. 4, and met President William Ruto in Nairobi on Monday. He left for South Africa on Tuesday and met President Cyril Ramaphosa in Pretoria on Wednesday, Oct. 7.
A statement issued by the presidential press unit said the visits focused on strengthening diplomatic ties and securing technical and logistical support for South Sudan’s electoral process.
During the meetings, Kiir said the necessary legal steps for holding elections had been completed, while administrative, logistical and financial preparations are continuing, the statement said. It added that inter-party dialogue was nearing completion.
The two leaders stressed that successful elections would contribute to peace and security in East Africa, the Horn of Africa and the wider continent, according to the statement.
In Pretoria, Kiir thanked Ramaphosa for his leadership of the African Union’s High-Level Ad Hoc Committee on South Sudan, known as the C5. He also acknowledged South Africa’s support during the implementation of the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement and the 2011 referendum that led to South Sudan’s independence, the statement said.
Kiir outlined progress in preparations, including the establishment of the National Elections Commission’s headquarters, civic education, the identification of voter registration centres, the recruitment of election workers, training of election security personnel and the printing of voter registration materials.
He requested South African assistance with commission-branded ballot boxes, specialised training for election officials in South Sudan, uniforms for security personnel and digital identification cards for election and operational staff.
Ramaphosa welcomed the reported progress and reaffirmed South Africa’s support for peaceful, inclusive, fair and credible elections, including assistance with electoral materials and supervision, the statement said. The two sides agreed to follow up on the requests through technical consultations.
South Sudan is scheduled to hold elections on Dec. 22, following repeated delays to the transitional period established under a 2018 peace agreement intended to end years of civil war.
On Sept. 22, Kiir dissolved the transitional government and signed amendments to the National Elections Act removing the completion of a permanent constitution and a national census as prerequisites for holding elections. He subsequently appointed caretaker officials to run government institutions.
The planned vote faces significant political and logistical challenges, including the completion of electoral preparations and efforts to build consensus among rival political groups.
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