President Salva Kiir during a stopover rally in Wau,town/18.03.2023/photo credit Office of the President

President Salva Kiir is set to travel to Wau, Western Bahr el Ghazal State for a one-day rally that will also celebrate his endorsement as the SPLM candidate for the 2024 elections.

SPLM party delegates from Juba and Bahr el Ghazal governors are in Wau town to make preparations ahead of the president’s arrival.

The rally is supposed to take place on July 4, but it is not clear if the president travels today or tomorrow.

“The SPLM members of the States of Bahr El Ghazal will converge on the 4th of July 2023 to Celebrate the endorsement of H.E Gen. Cde Salva Kiir Mayardit President of the Republic of South Sudan and the Chairman of the SPLM as the only SPLM flag bearer for the 2024 general elections,” reads a statement from the Office of Northern Bahr el Ghazal Governor Tong Akeen Ngor.

South Sudan is expected to hold its first-ever general elections as an independent state, in December next year.

On Friday, June 30, Lakes Governor Rin Tueny, Warrap’s Manhiem Bol, and Northern Bahr el Ghazal’s Tong Aken, who also double as States SPLM Chairpersons visited the area to assess preparations for the event.

Among them, were also Western Bahr el Ghazal Deputy Governor and Abyei Chief Administer.

“The meeting discussed the preparation for the reception of SPLM delegations from Juba, the States of Bahr El Ghazal Region, and the Abyei Administration Area to Wau Town for one day SPLM rally. The function will be attended by H.E., Gen. Cde, Salva Kiir Mayardit, President of Republic, and SPLM Chairman.”

The country was supposed to go to its first polls on 9 July 2015, but the outbreak of conflict in 2013 forced the elections to be postponed.

The South Sudan parliament then voted overwhelmingly in April 2015 to amend the transitional 2011 constitution to extend the presidential and parliamentary term until 9 July 2018. The polls were again postponed to 2021.

But in 2018, a peace agreement that ended the civil war was signed and a transitional period of three years was agreed on, which would be followed by elections in 2023.

In 2022, the transitional government and opposition agreed to extend the transitional period until late 2024 where an elected government would then be ushered in 2025.

However, critical chapters in the peace deal necessary for the elections to take place – such as the security arrangement, and constitutional and electoral reforms remain unresolved.

Opposition parties have also reiterated appeals for equal and fair opportunities for all political parties ahead of the 2024 presidential elections.