South Sudan’s government apologised after appointing a man dead for five years to a presidential panel on long-delayed elections.
President Salva Kiir announced several appointments last week to revive talks on elections now scheduled for December 2026.
One appointee, Steward Sorobo, was later confirmed by local media to have died five years earlier, triggering disbelief and ridicule.
The presidency admitted the mistake, saying poor verification led to an “unfortunate administrative oversight” in the appointments process.
Presidential press secretary David Amour Majur issued the apology on Monday and was dismissed from his post the following day.
Sorobo’s name was removed from the official list, but the error deeply upset his family and wider community.
Relatives said the appointment was not only bureaucratic negligence but also a cultural and spiritual violation requiring moral reparation.
Online, South Sudanese reacted with sharp criticism, accusing officials of copying old lists without checking basic facts.
Some social media users mocked the incident, joking that the deceased could mediate between the living and the dead.
The episode revived concerns about governance in South Sudan, which has struggled since independence in 2011.
A 2018 peace deal ended a brutal civil war, yet promised elections have been repeatedly delayed.
With violence rising again and trust eroding, analysts doubt elections will finally take place in December 2026.
