The United States, Britain and Norway on Saturday expressed “deep concern” over the announcement of a two-year postponement of elections in South Sudan, calling the extension of a transitional government a “failure”.
“This announcement demonstrates the persistent and collective failure of South Sudan’s leaders to create the conditions necessary for credible and peaceful elections,” a joint statement from the three governments said.
South Sudan gained independence from Sudan in 2011, but was plunged into a civil war two years later that left an estimated 400,000 people dead.
A 2018 peace deal brought together President Salva Kiir and his bitter rival, Vice President Riek Machar, but efforts to draft a constitution and hold the country’s first elections have been repeatedly delayed.
Last week, Kiir’s office announced that the vote scheduled for December would be pushed back two years, ahead of Sunday’s deadline for dissolving the transitional government.
Cabinet Affairs Minister Martin Elia Lomuro said the extension was “a response to recommendations from electoral institutions and the security sector.”
The three countries “recognised” that the elections could not take place as planned in December and blamed “a lack of political will”.
“The responsibility for this failure lies with all parties in the transitional government,” the statement said. “As South Sudan’s leaders vie for power and fail to deliver credible and peaceful elections, the people of South Sudan are suffering the consequences.”
Earlier this week, the United Nations expressed “regret and disappointment” at the delay.
“Two years ago we were in a similar situation to today and we provided our support specifically on the condition that there would be no further extensions,” UN Special Representative Nicholas Haysom said in a statement.
South Sudan is grappling with floods, hunger and violence, while its leaders appear reluctant to go to the polls and face accusations of massive corruption.
Earlier this month, the UN humanitarian agency warned that more than 700,000 people had been affected by the floods, with aid failing to meet the needs of many in need.
South Sudan has abundant oil resources, but this vital source of revenue was cut off in February when an export pipeline was damaged in war-torn Sudan.
