South Sudan’s Kiir calls for stronger unity as economy bites
September 10, 2024 (JUBA) – South Sudan President Salva Kiir has called for strong unity to overcome a swirling crisis that has pushed the country to the brink of economic collapse.
The landlocked nation faces mounting debts, inflation and social uncertainty.
“It is the time of this situation where you appreciate the value of resilience and we have always gotten such level of strong unity, support from our families, friends and brothers”, said Kiir in a statement aired on the state-owned South Sudan Broadcasting Corporation (SSBC) on Tuesday.
The South Sudanese leader said several sidelines meetings aimed at enhancing his country’s relations with other nations were held during the just-concluded 2024 China-African summit.
According to President Kiir, many countries have expressed readiness to provide support to help his country overcome the economic challenges it faces.
Meanwhile the Minister of Presidential Affairs, Chol Mawut Ajongo, said the 2024 China-African Cooperation summit upgraded the bilateral ties between South Sudan and China into a “strategic partnership”, advancing modernization and building a community with a shared future.
He said the leadership vowed it would do whatever it takes to ensure peace and stability prevailed.
According to the minister, the Juba government would not face a legitimacy crisis because parties to the Transitional Government of National Unity (TGoNU) would have reached a consensus.
“There will be no constitutional crisis because the parties are talking. Consultations are underway”, said Ajongo when asked to comment on the provision of the National Election Act 2023 demanding a dissolution of the current transitional cabinet and legislative bodies by September 22.
South Sudan’s National Election Commission (NEC) has announced December 22 general elections as per Section 16 (1) of the National Election Act 2023. The National Elections Commission has envisioned elections to be conducted in December but it remains unclear how the polls would be conducted without adequate preparations. Voter registration and voter education have not been conducted. South Sudan has never had elections since secession from Sudan in 2011.
(ST)