JUBA — South Sudan’s transitional government has announced a postponement of the anticipated elections and an extension of the transitional period by an additional two years. This decision comes after the administration acknowledged its inability to fulfill critical aspects of the peace agreement established to guide the nation to stability.

According to Namibia Press Agency, Minister for Cabinet Affairs Martin Elia Lomuro disclosed that this is the second delay and extension since the transitional government was established in February 2020. The postponement was recommended by election-related bodies and security sectors, emphasizing that the extension until 2026 is crucial for completing essential pre-election tasks. Lomuro marked February 2025 as the commencement of the revised transitional phase, expected to last until the end of 2026.

The elections, now scheduled for December 22, 2026, are set to be the first general elections in the world’s youngest nation, which gained independence in 2011. The delay aligns with the objectives of the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan, signed in 2018, which aimed to conclusively resolve the civil conflict that claimed about 400,000 lives according to United Nations estimates. The agreement initially mandated that the government dissolve by September 22 of this year to prepare for the elections planned for December.