US, allies charges South Sudan to put plans in order ahead of December polls
The United States, Britain and Norway have raised concerns ahead of the forthcoming elections in South Sudan, stressing the need to put the needed plans in place to ensure a peaceful and credible transfer of government.
The allies jointly made the call following warnings from the United States that South Sudan is not on a path of free and fair elections to take place as proposed unless action is taken.
South Sudan will head to the polls to select a new set of leaders to succeed the current transitional government, which includes President Salva Kiir and First Vice President Riek Machar, whose respective forces battled each other during the 2013–2018 civil war.
Despite the formal peace being enjoined by South Sudan since a 2018 deal that ended a five-year conflict that led to the killings of hundreds of thousands of people, clashes still occur between rival communities.
Speaking ahead of the election, the three countries stressed the need to implement all the already highlighted steps to be taken to ensure a smooth run of the poll, stressing that “not allowing elections would be a collective failure on the part of South Sudan’s leaders.”
A report by Reuters news agency, however, reported that the United States is proposing potential sanctions and adjusting its diplomatic platform in the country if elections were to be delayed or violence breaks out.
