By Enyichukwu Enemanna
Despite holding sway as the country’s leader since it gained independence in 2011, South Sudan President, Salva Kiir says he will contest the delayed 2024 first national election on the platform of his ruling Sudan People’s Liberation Movement party.
Kiir accepted the endorsement of the ruling party at the Bahr el Ghazala Stadium on Tuesday. South Sudan gained independence from Sudan in 2011.
“I am deeply touched by your endorsement and your continued support to our historic party,” Kiir told tens of thousands of supporters at the event.
“As party members, let us work on the basis that there will be no extension of the transitional period and we have to go for the elections,” he added.
He noted that his government is doing everything possible to ensure that what is crucial to conducting the elections is put in place.
Kiir is expected to face his longstanding rival, First Vice President Riek Machar, who has yet to confirm his candidacy.
The opposition has accused the government of lacking the political will to hold elections, but Kiir insists that he is committed to free and fair elections.
Almost 400,000 people died in a five-year civil war before Kiir and Machar signed a peace deal in 2018 and formed a unity government.
Since then, the country has battled flooding, hunger, violence and political bickering as the peace agreement has yet to be fully implemented. While large-scale clashes have subsided, violence in parts of the country persists.
It killed 2,240 people last year, according to the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project
