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Guardian

Guardian

UN warns that South Sudan faces ‘existential crisis’ ahead of uncertain polls

Guardian
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73% Informative

South Sudan is preparing to stage its first election as an independent country.

The vote was conceived as the finale to a peace agreement signed five years ago to pull the nation from a civil war that left at least 400,000 dead.

UN officials warn that any election interpreted as unfair, corrupt or incompetent risks pushing one of the world’s poorest states back into nationwide conflict.

UN troops are based at 27 locations in South Sudan , a strategic UN review suggested 36 were needed.

But Haysom says the South Sudanese are desperate for the democratic process to begin.

“All the polls or surveys have shown that the South .

Sudanese want elections, even though they suspect it may come with some violence,” he says.