NNA -nbsp;nbsp;South Sudan#39;s leader, Salva Kiir, on Tuesday pledged that delayed elections set for next year would go ahead as planned and that he would run for president.
Kiir, a towering guerrilla commander, has been the nation#39;s only president since he led it to independence from Sudan in 2011.
The world#39;s youngest nation has lurched from crisis to crisis during Kiir#39;s tenure and is held together by a fragile unity government of Kiir and Vice President Riek Machar.
A transition period was meant to conclude with elections in February 2023, but the government has so far failed to meet key provisions of the agreement, including drafting a constitution.
quot;I welcome the endorsement to run for presidency in 2024,quot; Kiir told supporters of his governing Sudan People#39;s Liberation Movement party, describing it as a quot;historic event.quot;
quot;We are committed to implement the chapters in the revitalized peace agreement as stated, and the election will take place in 2024.quot;
No other candidate has declared their candidacy, but historical foe Machar is expected to run.– AFP
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