South Sudan’s government has announced it is postponing long-delayed general elections until December 2026, citing a lack of preparedness.
This is the second time the country, which gained independence in 2011, is postponing elections and extending a transitional period that started in February 2020.
President Salva Kiir and his former rival turned deputy, Riek Machar, signed a peace agreement in 2018 that ended a five-year civil war which killed an estimated 400,000 people, triggered a famine, and led to a massive refugee crisis. An estimated 9 million people—73 percent of the country’s population—are in need of humanitarian assistance this year, according to the United Nations.
The government said it needed more time to complete processes such as a census, the drafting of a permanent constitution, and the registration of political parties before an election could be held, according to the presidential adviser on national security, Tut Gatluak.
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