The appointment that came from beyond the grave
IN the grand tradition of South Sudanese political theatre, where elections are promised more often than desert rain and delivered about as frequently, President Salva Kiir Mayardit has outdone himself. On January 30, 2026, his office issued a crisp presidential decree appointing a distinguished leadership body to shepherd the nation toward its long-awaited elections this December. Among the luminaries tapped for this critical mission: Steward Soroba Budia, a member of the opposition United Democratic Party. There was just one tiny, microscopic problem: Budia died five years ago. Now, in a country that has been independent since 2011 yet has never…
