Africa-Press. The President of South Sudan, Salva Kiir Mayardit, mistakenly appointed a politician who had died several years ago to a commission tasked with preparing elections in the country, before the presidency discovered the error and issued an apology. The deceased’s family has since demanded compensation.
A spokesperson for the presidential office described the incident as an “unintentional and unfortunate administrative error” after the name of former opposition figure Steward Sorubia Bodia was included among the members listed in a presidential decree.
In a statement released on Tuesday, the office said it had “received, with deep regret, information indicating that Steward Sorubia Bodia, one of the signatories to the peace agreement, had been appointed to the election-related commission under a presidential order dated January 30.”
Ambassador David Amour Majur, press secretary to the president, explained that the appointment decision followed broad consultations in which various stakeholders submitted the names of their nominees, with the aim of ensuring a representative and inclusive selection process.
He added that it later emerged that one party had failed to properly verify the name it submitted, leading to the regrettable administrative mistake.
The presidential office confirmed that it is currently taking steps to correct the appointment and is awaiting the nomination of an alternative candidate from the relevant body to replace the deceased.
The presidency extended its sincere condolences to the family and relatives of the deceased, stressing that it would implement stricter verification procedures in the future to ensure that all nominations meet the highest standards of accuracy and credibility.
Compensation demand
In response to the incident, Bodia’s family—who said he died five years ago—called for compensation. In a statement, the family said: “In our culture, it is unacceptable to summon or awaken the spirit of a deceased person without the knowledge, consent, or involvement of the family.”
It is worth noting that no elections have yet been held in South Sudan, which has endured repeated civil wars since its independence from Sudan in 2011.
Presidential and parliamentary elections that were scheduled for December 2025 were canceled shortly before the planned date and are now expected to take place in December of this year.
