South Sudan is going to hold elections for the first time since independence

Kiir, who has led South Sudan since independence from Sudan in 2011, pledged his support for the ruling party at a stadium event on Tuesday in Bahr el Ghazal. These national elections are the first to be held in South Sudan.

"I am deeply moved by your support and continued support for our historic party," Kiir told tens of thousands of supporters at Wau Stadium.

"As members of the party, let us work hard so that there will be no more transition period and we have to go to the polls," he said.

He added that his government is doing everything possible to ensure that the most important thing in conducting the elections is implemented.

Kiir is expected to face his longtime rival, First Vice President Riek Machar, who has yet to confirm his candidacy.

The opposition accused the government of not having the will to hold elections. But Kiir said he was ready for free and transparent elections.

About 400,000 people died in the five-year war before Kiir and Machar signed a peace deal in 2018 and formed a unity government.

Since then, the country has faced floods, famine, violence and political conflict because the peace agreement was not fully implemented. While serious fighting has subsided, violence in parts of the country continues.

In 2022, the Norwegian Refugee Council also listed the conflict as one of the world's 10 most neglected issues.

The United Nations has repeatedly criticized the South Sudanese government for its role in preventing violence, suppressing political freedoms and looting the public treasury.

The United Nations envoy to South Sudan, Nicholas Haysom, stressed that Juba "has made it clear that there will be no further extension" of the elections until the end of 2024.