South Sudan’s Elections Next Month Risk Unraveling a Fragile Peace, Envoys Warn

The African Union’s top representative for South Sudan urged the United Nations to help ensure that a critical election in the conflict-torn East African nation next month passes peacefully and without violence. Despite a 2018 peace agreement that ended a five-year civil war, South Sudan still sees armed fighting, violence and displacement of people — and there are concerns that elections could further unravel the fragile peace. Jakaya Kikwete, the AU’s top envoy for South Sudan and Tanzania’s former president, made the appeal for assistance in a video call to the U.N. Security Council on Tuesday. He pressed for security reforms and dialogue among all parties after the election to “help heal the nation.” … Kiki Gbeho, the U.N.’s special envoy for South Sudan, expressed her doubts about the election. While Kiir’s party — the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement — was conducting nationwide primaries, Gbeho added, other parties have shown “very limited electoral activity.” AP