JUBA — Veteran South Sudanese politician Dr. Aldo Ajou Deng has projected that President Salva Kiir will secure a decisive victory in the December 22 general elections, asserting that no viable alternative candidate has surfaced to challenge the incumbent leader.
In an interview with Radio Tamazuj in Juba, Aldo—a prominent figure within the Jieng Council of Elders and a former legislator—voiced strong backing for the upcoming vote as a necessary step to conclude South Sudan’s lengthy transitional phase. He noted that the country has remained in an unstable, continuous transition since 2005, spanning the period both before and after the nation’s independence from Sudan in 2011.
Following decades of civil war and a subsequent 2018 peace deal, President Kiir dissolved the transitional government on September 22 to install a caretaker administration ahead of the polls. While Kiir’s long-time adversary, Riek Machar, faces ongoing treason charges in Juba, Aldo argued that any future presidential successor will eventually emerge from a younger cohort of leaders.
The senior politician laid the blame for the nation’s persistent instability on leadership failures and the reliance on armed conflict. He contended that warfare drains vital state resources away from the economy and weaponizes tribal identities for political recruitment.
Furthermore, Aldo dismissed the notion that foreign powers should dictate South Sudanese leadership, maintaining that political legitimacy must stem strictly from voters rather than external interventions or fragmented opposition factions.
Defending Kiir’s track record, Aldo praised the president for demonstrating political restraint, accommodating rivals within parliament, and demanding fiscal accountability.
He maintained that the failures of the transitional model stem from politicians treating it as a shortcut to government positions rather than serving the public good.
Arguing that Kiir’s leadership is rooted in a lifelong dedication to the liberation struggle following the passing of founding leader John Garang, Aldo concluded that the incumbent deserves the opportunity to solidify his political legacy through a democratic mandate.
