What Kiir is expected to talk about on Independence Day

As South Sudan prepares to celebrate its14th Independence Anniversary on July 9, people have high expectations for President Salva Kiir’s national address on key pressing issues.

 In a statement welcoming President Kiir back from a 10-day official visit to the United Arab Emirates, Civil society and Executive Director of the Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO) Edmund Yakani, shared his expectations for president speech on July 9.

 Yakani specifically asked the President to talk about the reopening South Sudan’s national Parliament, which has been on break for more than six months.

 "The Parliament is having a heavy task in relation to bills before them and in relation to their oversight role in checking the executive in delivering their performance as per their individual ministerial mandates,” Yakani pointed out.

 Among the bills that Yakani expects to see prioritized include the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Bill, Gender-Based Violence Bill and the Family Law Bill.

 He also ask for reaffirmation of the government’s commitment to protecting children from armed conflict, particularly as part of the Action Plan for the Protection of Children Associated with Armed Forces.

Yakani also stressed the urgent need for the President to talk about the country’s preparations for the polls.

 “Things associated with timely release of the electoral calendar, adequate and timely funding of the National Election Commission and political decisions on challenges in translation of the amended National Election Act 2023 and matters of constitutional making process and population census that are linked to the elections,” Yakani said.

 “The recently reconstituted high-level ad hoc committee on the implementation of the pending task of our R-ARCSS should hold an inclusive dialogue that bring in parties signatory to our R-ARCSS and stakeholders to have a deliberation on genuine basis on how we should conduct the elections.”

 The Revitalized Agreement, which ended the five-year conflict in South Sudan, outlines important reforms and provisions to transition the country into the democratic dispensation.

However, it has faced continual setbacks, resulting in several delays of general elections, now set for December 2026. Despite this, the deal still encounters major challenges, especially after the recent arrest of First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar, a key partner in the R-ARCSS.

The detention of Dr. Machar, a key signatory to the peace deal, has raised concerns among regional and international observers about the integrity of the peace process.

With national elections scheduled for later 2026, there are concerns over the readiness of institutions, the absence of unified security forces, and constitution and electoral reforms. These are all key benchmarks specified in the R-ARCSS.