By John Ikani
South Sudanese leaders have signed a roadmap, extending the transitional period of their peace agreement for 24 months – starting from 22 February 2023.
Martin Elia Lomuro, the Minister of Cabinet Affairs, said the decision was taken “to address the challenges that impede the implementation of the peace agreement”, following a 2018 deal to end a five-year civil war that left nearly 400,000 people dead.
“Thus a new roadmap has been agreed,” the minister said, speaking in the presence of President Salva Kiir and Vice President Riek Machar, who formed a unity government more than two years ago after half a decade of fighting.
The extension of the transitional period means South Sudan will not hold long-awaited elections in February next year.
According to the new deal, an election will be held in December 2024.
The unity government in South Sudan was formed in February 2020. The current transitional period expires on 22 February 2023 – and it was expected to culminate with a general election, but the government has so far failed to meet key provisions of the agreement, including drafting a constitution.
The unity government has also failed to create a unified national army of up to 83,000 troops, which was a key pillar of the peace deal.
Last month the US pulled out of South Sudan’s peace process monitoring mechanisms. It was a major donor of the process – providing aviation services and logistics.
The US State Department accuses South Sudan’s leaders of failing to meet key reform milestones of the agreement they signed in September 2018 to end five years of conflict.
The heads of missions of the US, UK and Norway – known as the Troika for South Sudan – boycotted Thursday’s announcement, pointing out that the government had not consulted all the parties involved in the 2018 deal before announcing the extension.
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