Juba: A deadly attack on a military base in South Sudan, combined with the declaration of an “unprecedented” drought emergency, have underlined the challenges facing the world’s youngest nation as it prepares for its first elections. South Sudan in eastern Africa is among the poorest and most corrupt countries on the planet but is attempting to hold elections in December for the first time since gaining independence in 2011. On Friday, a group of armed men attacked the military base in Warrap, in the country’s northeast, killing 16 military and police personnel, and four civilians, state information minister William Deng Wol told AFP. Also on Friday, the state declared an emergency over a prolonged drought. “The state faces an unprecedented dry spell caused by severe rainfall deficits, causing severe crop failures, also leading to catastrophic loss of livestock and grazing lands,” the information minister said in a statement. With the El Nino weather pattern threatening much of eastern Africa with major climate disasters in the coming weeks, the Warrap official appealed for help from the central government and international partners “to avert the looming catastrophic famine”. Warrap State is plagued by inter-communal violence, usually involving revenge killings and cattle raids, though it was not clear what triggered the attack on the military base, which also led to the deaths of six attackers. The country faces myriad challenges at a time when international aid is also falling sharply. South Sudan’s government under President Salva Kiir is considered one of the most corrupt in the world. A United Nations report last year detailed how officials had stolen billions of dollars in oil money while leaving the population with hardly any essential services. Shortly after independence, the country was plunged into a devastating civil war between Kiir and his longtime rival, Riek Machar. A 2018 power-sharing agreement brought peace but has lately fallen apart, with Machar now under arrest and facing a treason trial. Their forces have fought sporadic battles in recent months. In these circumstances, the long-awaited elections could fuel renewed conflict and heighten the risk of atrocities, the UN-appointed Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan said last month. It is due to hold another fact-finding mission this week.