South Sudan Appoints Dead Man to Election Panel

South Sudan’s government has apologised after appointing a deceased man to a presidential panel set up to negotiate talks on the country’s long-delayed elections.

Last week, President Salva Kiir announced several appointments aimed at advancing preparations for elections now scheduled for December 2026.

Among those named was Steward Sorobo, who local media reported died about five years ago.

“The Office of the President has learned with regret that one of the signatories… has regrettably died,” Kiir’s press secretary, David Amour Majur, said in a statement on Monday.

“It is now evident that thorough verification was not done by one of the stakeholders, resulting in this unfortunate administrative oversight,” he added.

Majur was dismissed the next day with immediate effect, along with Valentino Dhel Malueth, according to a statement released by the Office of the President.

Marik Nanga Marik will take over as the Ministry of Presidential Affairs’ new Chief Administrator, replacing Malueth.

“Note: The appointment for the position of Press Secretary, Office of the President, is currently pending and will be announced in due course,” the statement added.

“The President further wishes to express his profound gratitude to the outgoing officials for their dedicated service and contributions to the Nation during their tenure, and conveys his best wishes to the newly appointed official in his new role.”

Sorobo’s name has since been removed from the list of appointments, but his family said the mistake caused deep distress.

Family representative Boboya James Edimond called for “cultural and moral reparation for the spiritual harm caused” in a statement, calling the incident “not only an administrative error but also a serious cultural and spiritual violation.”

On social media, the mistake was widely mocked as well. The government seems to be “doing copy and paste from the previous list but they don’t know who’s there and who’s not there,” according to one Facebook user.

The error also drew widespread ridicule on social media. One Facebook user said the government appeared to be “doing copy and paste from the previous list, but they don’t know who’s there and who’s not there.”

Another user suggested that the deceased be retained as “a coordinator between the living and dead to embrace our peace in South Sudan.”