South Sudan in Political Turmoil After Election Panel Blunder and Rising Conflict

Political tensions are escalating in South Sudan after President Salva Kiir mistakenly appointed a deceased opposition politician, Steward Sorobo Budia, to a national panel preparing for long-delayed elections. The error, later corrected by officials, has intensified criticism of the government’s competence amid growing instability.

The controversy comes as Kiir reshuffles top officials and continues a prolonged political standoff with Vice President Riek Machar, who has been on trial for treason and under house arrest for nearly a year. The situation threatens the fragile 2018 peace agreement that has underpinned the country’s stability.

Clashes between government forces and Machar’s supporters have intensified in Jonglei and Upper Nile states, raising fears of a renewed civil war. Aid group Doctors Without Borders reported that a hospital it operates was hit by an airstrike on February 3, highlighting the worsening humanitarian crisis.

International pressure is mounting. At the African Union summit, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa called for Machar’s release, while Kenyan President William Ruto has attempted to revive stalled peace talks with limited success. Meanwhile, the United Nations warns that inflammatory rhetoric from political leaders could trigger further atrocities.

Analysts say frequent purges of senior officials and weakening security institutions have left Kiir increasingly isolated, while fresh rebel threats and ongoing economic strain—largely tied to disrupted oil exports through war-torn Sudan—compound the crisis. Elections slated for December now appear increasingly uncertain as violence spreads and displacement rises.

Since gaining independence in 2011, South Sudan has endured cycles of conflict, famine and political upheaval, with over 400,000 people killed during the 2013–2018 civil war and thousands more recently displaced.

Reported by Akintade Samson