South Sudan’s Kiir dissolves government ahead of first national elections

President’s move clears hurdles to long delayed election and raises concern he can now wield unchecked power.Sudan" class="entity-link entity-location" data-entity-id="3169" data-entity-type="location">South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir arrives at the Presidential Palace in Juba, Sudan" class="entity-link entity-location" data-entity-id="3169" data-entity-type="location">South Sudan, on February 3, 2023 [File: Gregorio Borgia/AP Photo]Published On 23 Sep 2026South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir has dissolved the country’s transitional unity government and appointed a caretaker administration as the country prepares for its first-ever national elections.The decree on Tuesday ended a power-sharing arrangement set up under a 2018 peace deal that halted years of civil war, and raised concerns that Kiir could now wield unchecked power.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Colourism in South Sudanlist 2 of 3What’s behind the renewed violence on Sudan" class="entity-link entity-location" data-entity-id="3169" data-entity-type="location">South Sudan’s border with Sudan?list 3 of 3Will Sudan" class="entity-link entity-location" data-entity-id="3169" data-entity-type="location">South Sudan’s latest peace deal last?end of listThe decree, read out by the national broadcaster, said all vice-presidents, ministers and local administrators have been removed and that the national and state assemblies have been dissolved.The judiciary and security institutions remain in place, while Kiir will stay in office “during the election period until the next elected president assumes office”, it said.The decree came a day after the parliament approved changes to the national elections Act that allowed Kiir to stay in power during the election period, while removing all vice presidents, who were appointed under the 2018 peace deal.The changes mean that Sudan" class="entity-link entity-location" data-entity-id="3169" data-entity-type="location">South Sudan can move towards elections scheduled for December 22, without first completing a permanent constitution or census – two processes that were previously tied to the transition.The main opposition alliance has rejected the changes.Sudan" class="entity-link entity-location" data-entity-id="3169" data-entity-type="location">South Sudan’s suspended First Vice President Riek Machar inside a steel-caged dock before his trial on charges including treason and crimes against humanity, in Juba, Sudan" class="entity-link entity-location" data-entity-id="3169" data-entity-type="location">South Sudan, on September 22, 2025 [File: Stringer/Reuters]Elections were initially expected in 2022 but have been postponed twice.Tasks still outstanding under the 2018 peace deal include drafting a permanent constitution, registering voters and unifying the armed forces loyal to rival parties.That agreement followed five years of civil war that killed about 400,000 people and displaced millions, according to the United Nations.Amnesty International, a prominent rights group, called Kiir’s decree a “decisive step” towards the country’s first-ever elections. But Tigere Chagutah, Amnesty International’s regional director for East and Southern Africa, urged the authorities to “ensure that a conducive environment exists for people to vote and stand in elections”.Analysts meanwhile warned that the changes offered Kiir unfettered control.“Kiir will be the only person in power, without vice-presidents, without the executive, without the parliament,” Michael Wani, a lawyer and former member of the constitution drafting committee, told the AFP news agency.Independent analyst Machot Amuom told AFP there was a lot of “ambiguity” in the legal changes. “The new law gives the president full powers … He can decide even not to go for elections for another year or another two years,” Amuom told AFP.Last week, Kiir also replaced the head of the elections commission without giving a reason. Sudan" class="entity-link entity-location" data-entity-id="3169" data-entity-type="location">South Sudan Broadcasting Corporation (SSBC) said the new chief, Gabriel Bol Deng Majok, had been given a “fresh mandate” to oversee preparations for the polls.The preparations come as Kiir’s longtime rival Riek Machar, who leads the opposition Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-in-Opposition (SPLM-IO), remains under house arrest. He is on trial on charges including treason and murder, which he denies.The transition is also taking place under tight security.AFP reported checkpoints and road closures around the government complex in the capital, Juba, while security personnel were ordered to remain on heightened alert for three days.