Unrests must not endanger free elections in South Sudan!

The Society for Threatened Peoples (STP) fears that the unrests in South Sudan could serve as a reason to cancel the national elections that are planned for 2015. "This would be a major setback for the efforts to build a democratic state in South Sudan," said the STP's Africa-consultant, Ulrich Delius, in Göttingen on Friday. The struggle for power that has been going on within South Sudan's leading party SPLM since the weekend clearly shows how alarming the situation regarding democratic changes, the rule of law and human rights in the new state has become.

"The SPLM representatives around President Salva Kiir are becoming more and more unpopular," said Delius. "For the living conditions in South Sudan remain disastrous, even two and a half years after the proclamation of an independent state and nine years after the end of the war against Sudan. Many people in South Sudan are angry about the nepotism and corruption in the SPLM administration. "Still, twenty-five percent of the twelve million people in South Sudan are reliant on international aid supplies to survive. Schools, hospitals and infrastructure measures are needed. Tens of thousands of farmers lost their land to international agricultural investors due to disadvantageous land lease contracts issued by the authorities. The income from oil exports is mainly used to support the army and to secure new arms deals to protect South Sudan from attacks from Sudan.

Given the empty state coffers, the SPLM has little chances to gain support from the people, so the party would lose votes in an election in 2015. While the opposition parties insist on timely elections in July 2015, Salva Kiir first mentioned that the elections might be postponed in September 2013. Still, there is neither a credible census nor a new constitution. "If the international community does not insist on free elections on the scheduled date, South Sudan is facing a one-party rule, an increase of internal political tensions and a further impoverishment of the population," said Delius.