South Sudan deserves right kind of elections

As South Sudan prepares for its first national elections since independence in 2011, it is essential to resist viewing December 2026 as merely a symbolic deadline. Elections held without trust and inclusion may exacerbate the country's divisions, as warned by the Reconstituted Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission. President Salva Kiir's government insists on proceeding with elections before constitutional reforms, but this could jeopardize the legitimacy of the transition, especially with Riek Machar, a key figure in the peace process, still detained.