South Sudan - September 2024
Government postpones elections for the fourth time since independence
On 20 September, South Sudan’s parliament approved a two-year postponement of the long-awaited elections announced by the transitional government on 13 September, citing delays in implementing key provisions of the 2018 peace agreement and insufficient funds to register voters. The elections, originally scheduled for December 2024, are now expected to be held in 2026. This marks the fourth election postponement in the past decade, with South Sudan yet to hold elections since gaining independence in 2011. The decision has drawn sharp criticism from both national and international actors. A group of South Sudanese lawyers petitioned the court, challenging the legality of the postponement, while the United States, the United Kingdom, and Norway – international guarantors of the peace process – issued a joint statement condemning the delay as a failure of leadership.
Sources: Sudan Tribune, Radio Tamazuj, VOA News, Africa Confidential, AP News, International Peace Institute
