Kiir says ‘election is coming’, urges police to ensure security during vote

JUBA – President Salva Kiir Mayardit emphasized on Thursday that elections are coming in the world’s youngest country, urging members of a newly trained police force to be prepared to uphold security during the voting process.

South Sudan is gearing up for its inaugural elections in December this year, as stipulated by the terms of the revitalized peace agreement signed by Kiir and his main rival, Riek Machar, leader of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement in Opposition (SPLM-IO).

Addressing the graduation ceremony of approximately 1540 police officers in Juba, Kiir urged the freshly minted law enforcement personnel to ready themselves to ensure the security of citizens and the integrity of the electoral process slated for December.

“We are going for election. Since the election is coming, the people who will have a lot of work are the police,” Kiir remarked during the ceremony held at Dr. John Garang De Mabior Mausoleum. “The police must provide security of citizens and protection of ballots and protection of ballots boxes.”

In addition to emphasizing election security, Kiir directed the police to address the escalating crime rate in Juba City to safeguard the lives and property of citizens, acknowledging that the surge in criminal activities has overwhelmed the capacity of the existing law enforcement agencies.

“The criminals have become many, and the crimes have risen to an extent the organized forces cannot manage and for that, the police must work hard,” Kiir asserted.

The president’s remarks, come just as Machar proposed a twenty-four-month extension of the transitional period to facilitate the completion of pending tasks provide for in the 2018 revitalized peace deal.

Meanwhile, other opposition factions, including the South Sudan Opposition Alliance (SSOA), have advocated for dialogue among all parties to chart a collective path forward.