Renewed fighting and political tensions have intensified as opposition leader Riek Machar remains under house arrest and on trial on treason and murder charges

South Sudan risks sliding into a deeper political and security crisis if its first national election since independence is poorly managed, African Union (AU) and UN officials have warned, with the December 22 vote approaching amid political divisions, funding shortages and renewed fighting.

Jakaya Kikwete, the AU High Representative for the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea, told the UN Security Council on Tuesday that the December 22 vote must be properly managed to avoid renewed instability.

“If they are not conducted well, the crisis will begin again immediately,” the former Tanzanian president said, according to UN meeting records.

UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) chief Anita Kiki Gbeho said the country was at a “critical juncture,” citing unresolved security arrangements, logistical problems, an extremely compressed electoral timetable and…