Dr Luka Biong Deng, Managing Director of the Sudd Institute - Courtesy

A South Sudanese researcher warned that with general elections set for December 22, 2024, South Sudan faces a looming legitimacy crisis that threatens the country’s political stability.

In his weekly review, South Sudan: The Looming Legitimacy Crisis, Dr Luka Biong Deng, the Managing Director of the Sudd Institute provided five options that the parties to the R-ARCSS may consider for
addressing the looming legitimacy crisis.

He highlighted that the National Elections Commission’s announcement has significantly heightened concerns about the country’s political stability.

According to the National Elections Act, the transitional government is bound to dissolve its various legislative and executive bodies by September 22, 2024.

However, with critical prerequisites such as constitutional amendments, population census, and election resources still unmet, it is clear that holding elections by the set date is highly improbable.

In response to this crisis, Dr Luka outlines five potential options for the Revitalized Transitional Government of National Unity (RTGoNU) to consider.

These include extending the transitional period through amendments to the R-ARCSS, postponing elections by invoking specific sections of the Elections Act, and leveraging the Tumaini Initiative as a path to a more stable and democratic transition.

He added that while some options offer immediate, albeit unpopular, solutions, others suggest a more comprehensive approach to address the structural flaws in the R-ARCSS and foster genuine democratic processes.

Dr Luka asserts that the Tumaini Initiative is a crucial opportunity to overcome the existing fragility trap and offer a more promising path to peace and democratic governance.

He emphasized that as South Sudan nears a critical juncture, the decisions made by the RTGoNU will be pivotal in shaping the country’s political future and restoring public trust in its democratic institutions.

Dr Luka is currently the Managing Director of the Sudd Institute, an adjunct Professor of Peace, Development, and Security Studies at the University of Juba, and an Adjunct Distinguished Professor at the Africa Center for Strategic Studies, National Defense University, USA.

He served in various capacities in the governments of Sudan and South Sudan and with think-tanks
around the world.

Dr Luka holds a PhD in Development Studies Policy from the Institute of Development Studies (IDS), University of Sussex, UK.