UN, West condemn South Sudan’s election delay

Some Western diplomatic missions in South Sudan have expressed disappointment with the South Sudanese government’s decision last week to extend the country’s transition by two years. In a statement posted on X, formerly Twitter, the United Kingdom, United States, Canada, France, Germany, and Netherlands said the decision reflects the failure of the government to implement the 2018 peace agreement despite its promises to fulfill them. The statement called on all stakeholders to create the conditions for peaceful, transparent and inclusive elections as soon as possible. It called on the South Sudan government to come forward with a credible and transparent plan and ways to finance it. William Pay is a South Sudanese American and Executive Director of the Institute for Peace Development.