A South Sudanese political analyst predicted that the ongoing Nairobi peace talks between the government and some members of the holdout group will serve as a basis for the extension of elections slated for December 2024.
Dr. Abraham Kuol Nyuon, Dean of the School of Social and Economic Studies at the University of Juba, told Radio Tamazuj on Monday that both sides at the negotiation table will definitely use the Nairobi peace talks to extend the current transitional government’s lifespan.
“This is another possibility, which I said three years ago. It could be another possibility of postponing general elections this year so that the Nairobi agreement will be the basis for another extension of the current transitional period,” he said.
Dr. Kuol argued that extending the government’s lifespan comes with many expenses amid the country’s economic crisis, adding that it will be a disaster since the government will be increasing its costs by accommodating new members.
“It will be either we are not preparing for election because of the problem of a security arrangement that will be coupled together with signing a new agreement with those who are not part of the agreement, and as they do that, this could be the only widow they can use to extend the government lifespan, and that comes with a lot of expense, and with this economic crisis this thing is going to be a disaster because you are trying to increase your expenses when your income is extremely very low,” he said.
The analyst added, “The current peace talks in Nairobi will have two aspects: one is that if they sign an agreement, it will be annexed to the Revitalized Peace Agreement, and it shows it that South Sudan is now completely out of war through imagination because everybody has been brought on board. Two, it shows that the interest of all political leaders has been accommodated because nothing new will come out apart from them being accommodated into the government, which means more bills will be paid by the people of South Sudan.”
President Salva Kiir, First Vice President Machar and other political figures have been struggling to integrate rival military forces, draft a new constitution and prepare for delayed first elections in December 2024.
South Sudan remains fragile despite the 2018 revitalized peace agreement, which is yet to be satisfactorily implemented by the parties.
Last Thursday, President Salva Kiir opened another forum for peace talks with some members of the holdout group in Kenya, with African presidents calling for an end to a conflict that has crippled the country’s economy for several years.
The South Sudanese leader thanked his Kenyan counterpart, William Ruto, for hosting the peace talks in Nairobi and said that his government would negotiate in good faith and with an open mind.