South Sudan's President Salva Kiir has dissolved the transitional government, three months before the country's first election since its independence in 2011. The dissolution of the government comes after several postponements of elections and extensions of the transitional period. Under the amended law signed on Monday, Kiir removed the country's five vice-presidents and dissolved parliament, as well as national and state governments.
President Kiir will remain in office with full constitutional powers until an elected president is sworn in. He also reappointed some ministers and governors in caretaker positions until the 22 December elections. A heavy security presence was reported in the capital, Juba, ahead of Tuesday's announcement. Soldiers from the army and national security services blocked access to government ministries, and soldiers were seen patrolling parts of the city.
The main opposition leader, Riek Machar, was sacked as vice-president last year and charged with treason. He is currently under house arrest. Machar had been named vice-president as part of a 2018 peace deal to end a five-year civil war between forces loyal to Kiir and Machar. The Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM), led by Kiir, is yet to face a prominent challenger in the December poll.
The Reconstituted Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (RJMEC) stated that South Sudan had entered a "critical phase". The commission urged parties to agree on a path towards credible elections and a peaceful end to the transitional period, which has lasted since independence. Several key talks under the 2018 peace agreement remain incomplete.
Earlier, President Kiir dismissed the chairman of the national elections commission, Abednego Akok Kacuol, without giving a reason. Akok had said in August that the commission needed $250m to conduct the election but had received only $21m. He was replaced by the commission's secretary-general, Gabriel Bol Deng.
The main opposition group, the Sudan People's Liberation Movement in Opposition (SPLM-IO), had warned people not to take part in poll preparations. Nathaniel Pierino, acting chairperson of the group, said in a post on Facebook that anyone coming to register voters and campaign in territories controlled by the SPLM-IO would be considered a prisoner of war.
The UN agencies in Juba asked staff to work remotely while the situation was monitored. A senior government official told the BBC that staff arriving for work were turned away and told to return the following Monday. The latest 24-month extension of the transitional period was due to end on 22 February 2027.
Key points
- President Salva Kiir dissolved the transitional government ahead of South Sudan's first election since independence in 2011.
- The main opposition leader, Riek Machar, is under house arrest and faces treason charges.
- The Reconstituted Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission urged parties to agree on a path towards credible elections and a peaceful end to the transitional period.
