South Sudan President Salva Kiir has dissolved the country’s transitional government and appointed a caretaker administration ahead of presidential and parliamentary elections scheduled for December.
The dissolution was announced in a presidential order broadcast on state television on Tuesday, shortly after Kiir signed amendments to the National Elections Act to clear legal hurdles ahead of the December 22 polls.
The order removed Kiir’s vice presidents and ministers from office and dissolved the national legislature, the 10 state governments and their assemblies, as well as authorities in three administrative areas.
Kiir will remain president throughout the electoral period until a newly elected president is sworn in, while caretaker officials will oversee government operations during the transition.
The caretaker administration includes ministers responsible for key portfolios including foreign affairs, defence, interior, justice, national security, finance, petroleum, information and peace building.
The dissolution ends the transitional power-sharing arrangement established under a 2018 peace agreement that helped end years of civil war in the world’s youngest country.
The transitional period and implementation of the peace agreement have been extended several times, delaying South Sudan’s first national elections since it gained independence from Sudan in 2011.
The latest election law amendments removed previous requirements for a permanent constitution and national census to be completed before elections could take place.
Kiir’s government said the dissolution was part of the electoral process and was necessary as the country moves towards the December polls.
The move comes amid continuing uncertainty over the electoral process. The head of South Sudan’s National Elections Commission was dismissed last week without a public explanation and replaced just three months before the scheduled election.
Kiir’s longtime rival and First Vice-President Riek Machar has also been under house arrest since March 2025 and is facing trial on charges including treason and murder, which he denies. It remains unclear whether Machar will be able to contest the December election.
The Sentry, a conflict and corruption research organisation, criticised the dissolution, arguing that key conditions for credible elections, including a voter register and permanent constitution, remain absent.
South Sudan is scheduled to hold its general elections on December 22, with voter registration yet to begin.
(The Whistler)
