The UN Security Council should support all efforts undertaken by the South Sudanese authorities to advance the political process in the country, including holding presidential elections later this year, said Russia's Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, Anna Evstigneeva.
"Ultimately, the issue of holding elections in the country is a sovereign affair of the country. Under the current circumstances, the Security Council should support the efforts of the authorities of South Sudan aimed at advancing the political process, and assist in overcoming the difficulties this country with nascent state institutions is facing. It is crucial to support any solution that is agreeable to the South Sudanese themselves. Of course, this solution must be inclusive, and should be welcomed by the majority of the population," she stated at UNSC briefing on South Sudan.
She also highlighted that South Sudan's leadership has been notably effective in addressing human rights challenges, preventing interethnic conflicts, and safeguarding women and children from violence.
"We believe that all those problems—although they are still significant—are not the cause but the consequence of an unfinished political process, which the Council should fully support," Evstigneeva added.
In September 2018, South Sudanese President Salva Kiir and rebel leader Riek Machar signed a peace agreement in Ethiopia, according to which the rebels cease fire and Machar is reinstated as the country's vice president. At the same time, they agreed to carry out a radical restructuring of South Sudan's state institutions during the transition period.
The country's new government, with the participation of opposition representatives, was formed in February 2020; administrative reform was carried out, and the lower house of the updated parliament was formed in the spring of 2021. In August 2022, the South Sudanese government extended the transition period by two years—from 2023 to 2025—which should end with presidential elections, which are scheduled for December 2024. The current president, Kiir, announced that he will seek re-election.