The African Union Mission in South Sudan, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), and the United Nations Mission in South Sudan, who had provided guarantees for the 2018 peace agreement that established the current coalition arrangement, have expressed their disapproval of the extension of President Salva Kiir's government's mandate.
They cited the transitional coalition government's failure to meet key benchmarks outlined in the 2018 peace deal, which ended a three-year civil war in the world's youngest nation.
These benchmarks include the unification and reform of the security sector, the enactment of a permanent constitution, the completion of a national census, the registration of political parties, and the return of refugees and internally displaced people.
"Regrettably, none of these extensions, since the R-ARCSS was signed on 12 September 2018, have helped achieve their objectives. It is imperative for South Sudan’s leaders to put the interests of the nation and its people first," the development partners said, citing the two previous extensions of the transitional government's mandate in 2022 and 2023.
They noted that the lack of progress, particularly in security sector reforms, has undermined trust in the government.
"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," South Sudanese Cabinet Affairs Minister Dr. Martin Elia Lomuro explained in response to the donors' criticism.