{"id":664,"date":"2026-10-06T07:27:59","date_gmt":"2026-10-06T07:27:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thedawn.com.ss\/?p=664"},"modified":"2026-10-06T07:28:00","modified_gmt":"2026-10-06T07:28:00","slug":"ruto-backs-south-sudans-2026-elections-urges-political-dialogue","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thedawn.com.ss\/?p=664","title":{"rendered":"Ruto Backs South Sudan&#8217;s 2026 Elections, Urges Political Dialogue"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"624\" height=\"430\" src=\"https:\/\/thedawn.com.ss\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/image-19.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-665\" srcset=\"https:\/\/thedawn.com.ss\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/image-19.png 624w, https:\/\/thedawn.com.ss\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/image-19-300x207.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 624px) 100vw, 624px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><strong>President Salva Kiir Mayardit (right) shakes hands with Kenyan President William Ruto (left) at the state house in Nairobi, Kenya (Photo by PPU of Kenya).<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>By Awan Achiek<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Kenyan President William Ruto has reaffirmed Kenya&#8217;s support for South Sudan&#8217;s general elections, scheduled for December 2026, while encouraging political stakeholders to prioritize dialogue and consensus in the lead-up to the polls.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Ruto&#8217;s remarks followed a meeting with South Sudan President Salva Kiir Mayardit at State House in Nairobi on Monday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The two leaders discussed bilateral relations, trade, investment, and regional cooperation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;We expressed satisfaction with the strong relations between our two nations and resolved to continue opening more opportunities for trade and investment for our citizens,&#8221; Ruto shared on his Facebook page.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He further emphasized Kenya and South Sudan&#8217;s commitment to strengthening ties and creating mutual trade and investment opportunities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">President Ruto also thanked President Kiir for South Sudan&#8217;s participation in last week&#8217;s launch of the Dangote East Africa Refinery in Lamu, highlighting it as an example of cooperation between the neighboring countries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Regarding South Sudan&#8217;s electoral process, Ruto commended the nation&#8217;s preparations for the December 2026 elections.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&nbsp;&#8220;Kenya stands ready to support South Sudan in this endeavor while encouraging dialogue and consensus among all parties,&#8221; he stated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">These upcoming elections are a significant political milestone for South Sudan, which gained independence in 2011. The country has experienced multiple electoral delays due to ongoing political and security challenges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The meeting between Ruto and Kiir occurred as South Sudan accelerates its preparations for the December polls and seeks regional backing for a peaceful and credible electoral process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Both leaders also underscored the importance of strengthening economic cooperation and expanding opportunities for their citizens.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Kenya has consistently maintained close political, economic, and security ties with South Sudan and has actively supported regional efforts to promote peace and stability in the country.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Kenyan President William Ruto has reaffirmed Kenya&#8217;s support for South Sudan&#8217;s general elections, scheduled for December 2026, while encouraging political stakeholders to prioritize dialogue and consensus in the lead-up to the polls.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":665,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_tdlc_coverage_id":0,"_tdlc_timeline_at":"","_tdlc_timeline_label":"","_tdno_assigned_editor":1,"_tdno_approval_notes":"","_thedawn_video_url":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[49],"tags":[38],"class_list":["post-664","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-following"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.6 - 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