International peace guarantors expressed disappointment over South Sudan’s decision to postpone its December elections, citing the government’s failure to fulfill the terms of the 2018 peace agreement.
President Salva Kiir announced last Friday that the transitional period would be extended by two years, marking the second delay after a previous postponement in 2022.
Though the 2018 accord ended a five-year conflict that claimed hundreds of thousands of lives, communal violence continues to erupt across the country. Global peace partners, including the U.S., U.K., EU, and others, condemned the delay in a joint statement, saying it reflects the government’s failure to uphold its promises outlined in the 2022 “roadmap.”
They urged South Sudan’s leaders to urgently create conditions for elections, which they argue are crucial for lasting peace.
South Sudan’s election was meant to replace the transitional government, led by Kiir and First Vice President Riek Machar—former rivals during the country’s civil war.
U.N. Special Envoy Nicholas Haysom also stated that South Sudan is not yet prepared to hold elections.
