AU Chair calls for action on South Sudan peace agreement following transition extension

The African Union Commission Chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat has called for concrete actions to fully implement South Sudan's peace agreement. 

In a statement dated September 21, Faki acknowledged the South Sudanese government's decision to extend the transition period by two years, postponing elections from December 2024 to December 2026. 

"The Chairperson urges all stakeholders to work towards the realization of the long-awaited legitimate right and aspirations of all South Sudanese for the conduct of transparent and credible elections, thereby promoting constitutional democratic order and inclusive governance," the statement read. 

Faki reaffirmed the African Union's commitment to support South Sudan's government and people throughout the political transition process and beyond. 

He also called on the international community to continue providing support to South Sudan. 

Last week, South Sudan's parties to the 2018 peace agreement extended the transitional period to February 22, 2027, following a meeting between President Salva Kiir, his deputies, and key officials in Juba. 

Cabinet Affairs Minister Martin Lomuro explained that the extension would allow time to address key provisions in the peace deal. 

"The extension is in response to the recommendations from the electoral institutions and the security sector. It is an opportunity to implement the pending issues in the peace deal," Lomuro said.

A group of South Sudanese lawyers filed a case to the country's top court on Monday challenging the president's postponement of elections and extension of the transitional government's term for two years.

The lawyers challenging the action went to the Supreme Court, asking it to declare it "null and void."

"As lawyers, we think that this extension is unconstitutional, is illegal and we (are) demanding our government to conduct elections within the timeframe,” Deng John Deng, speaking on behalf of his colleagues, told reporters shortly after filing the case.

Michael Makuei, the information minister and government spokesperson, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The postponement prompted international guarantors of South Sudan's peace process to express their disappointment, saying it showed the government's failure to implement a 2018 peace plan.

South Sudan has formally been at peace since the 2018 agreement ended a five-year conflict responsible for hundreds of thousands of deaths, but violence between rival communities breaks out frequently.