South Sudan: Postponing long-awaited elections ‘a regrettable development’
JUBA, South Sudan – The postponement of South Sudan’s long-awaited elections, originally scheduled for December 2023, is “a regrettable development” that will “further delay the country’s progress towards peace and stability,” the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) said in a statement on Tuesday.
The decision to postpone the elections was announced by the government on Monday, citing the need for more time to implement the revitalized peace agreement, which was signed in 2018. The statement said that the elections would now be held in 2024, but did not provide a specific date.
UNMISS said that it “understands the need for a credible and inclusive electoral process,” but stressed that “the repeated postponements of elections undermine the democratic aspirations of the South Sudanese people.”
The mission called on the government to “take all necessary steps to ensure that the elections are held as soon as possible” and urged all stakeholders to “work together to create a conducive environment for the conduct of free, fair and credible elections.”
The postponement of the elections is a major setback for South Sudan, which has been struggling to implement the peace agreement and end the country’s civil war. The war began in 2013, when President Salva Kiir accused his then-vice president, Riek Machar, of plotting a coup. The conflict has since killed tens of thousands of people and displaced millions more.
The peace agreement was signed in 2018, but its implementation has been slow and difficult. The government and opposition have been unable to agree on a number of key issues, including the formation of a unified army and the establishment of a transitional government.
The postponement of the elections is likely to further delay the implementation of the peace agreement and prolong the country’s civil war. It is also likely to erode public trust in the government and the peace process.
The international community has condemned the postponement of the elections. The United States said that it was “deeply disappointed” by the decision and called on the government to “respect the will of the South Sudanese people and hold elections as soon as possible.” The United Kingdom said that the postponement was “a setback for democracy” and called on the government to “urgently agree on a revised election timeline.”
The government of South Sudan has defended its decision to postpone the elections, saying that it needs more time to implement the peace agreement. However, critics say that the government is simply trying to stay in power and avoid elections that it is likely to lose.
The postponement of the elections is a major challenge for South Sudan. The country is already facing a number of challenges, including a humanitarian crisis, economic crisis, and security crisis. The postponement of the elections is likely to make all of these challenges worse.
South Sudan: Postponing long-awaited elections ‘a regrettable development’
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