| The Presidency of South Sudan has agreed to extend the mandate of the country’s transitional government of national unity by two more years, and to adjourn the general elections that had been slated for this December to 2026.
In a statement issued on September 13, the South Sudan Presidency has the Presidential Adviser on National Security, Hon. Tut Gatluak, lauding the extension decision as beneficial to the process of implementing the September 2018 Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCSS). Addressing journalists, Hon. Gatluak is said to have described the extension as “an opportunity to implement the critical remaining protocols in R-ARCSS, such as the permanent constitution process, census, and the registration of political parties.” In the statement, Dr. Lomuro is quoted reassuring South Sudanese of continued operations of the government “during this extended period”. “The Minister further stressed that the government will not be dissolved and will continue to function as usual while the institutions work to finalize their provisions,” the September 13 statement reads in part. “The Presidency also emphasizes that the remaining months of the current transitional period will be utilized to mobilize funds, aimed at the effective implementation of the revitalized peace agreement,” the statement further indicates, with Dr. Lomuro adding that the mobilization of funds is “crucial for achieving long-term peace and stability in the country.” South Sudan’s Revitalised Transitional Government of National Unity (RTGoNU) was formed in February 2020 in line with R-ARCSS. The world’s newest country that gained independence from Sudan in July 2011 and plunged into civil war in December 2013 had scheduled general elections before February 2023. In a July 3 interview with the Catholic Radio Network (CRN), Bishop Eduardo Hiiboro Kussala of South Sudan’s Catholic Diocese of Tombura-Yambio (CDTY) lamented that an extension of the mandate and general elections would only serve to prolong the “suffering of the people” of God in the country. “For the last four years, there has not been proper work in the country; not so much service has been done,” Bishop Hiiboro lamented in the interview reported on July 4. He added, “If you’re extending that period there must be a promise that the market will change tomorrow, people will have basics to feed on and necessary services they need for themselves.” Credits to: ACIAFRICA
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Date Published:19 September 2024 Author:Alice, Officer
Article Tags: Latest news, South Sudan, Solidarity, Elections in South Sudan, South Sudan News, Peace process in South Sudan |
