South Sudan's English Daily Newspaper
"We Dare where others fear"
By Benjamin Takpiny
The council of ministers on Saturday endorsed the extension of transitional period for another two years by the parties to the agreement on the resolution of the conflict in South Sudan.
The Deputy Minister for Information, Communication and Postal Service, Dr. Jacob Maiju Korok said that the endorsement was done during the extraordinary meeting, chaired by President Salva Kiir Mayardit in Juba.
The decision was taken following the memo presented to cabinet by the Minister of Cabinet Affairs Dr Martin Elia Lomuro.
Korok said they did not want to rush into an election without implementing the critical pending tasks within the 2018 revitalized peace agreement.
“There were some articles in the Revitalized Peace Agreement that were not implemented and we do not want to rush into an election without implementing all,” he said.
On Friday, the presidency reached consensus to extend the transitional period by two years and postponed elections, which were initially scheduled for December 2024 to December 22, 2026.
The statement issued by the presidency said that the extension is an opportunity to implement the critical remaining protocols in the peace agreement, such as the permanent constitution process, population census and the registration of political parties.
Korok said that the remaining five months of the current transitional period which ends on February 22, 2025, will be utilized to mobilize funds for implementation of the pending peace tasks and also preparation for the 2026 elections.
He added that the signatories to the agreement will continue to maintain peace, security and relative political stability ushered in by the Revitalized Peace Agreement.
“The parties therefore recommit to activities that will maintain the improved trust gained by the parties during the intervening period, and they aim to achieve permanent peace, security, and political stability, by ensuring that elections are conducted in a secure environment, and will establish electoral systems that will deliver free, fair, credible and democratic election to avoid a return of the country to war” Korok said.
Korok said that the memo will be presented to the parliament and also to the peace monitoring body the Reconstituted Joint Monitoring Evaluation Commission (RJMEC) for further consideration.
The move comes barely 24 hours after the parties agreed to delay the long-awaited first ever general election in South Sudan since independence in 2011.
Together with President Kiir, they formed a unity government in 2020, with Machar becoming the first vice president, among four others.
A 2018 peace deal that ended a civil war allowed President Salva Kiir to remain in charge of a transitional government with his former Rival Riek Machar serving as his first deputy plus 4 others.
South Sudan, the world’s youngest country, has not held national elections since gaining independence in 2011 from Sudan.
