IGAD Executive Secretary’s Statement on the Extension of South Sudan’s Transitional Period and Call for Renewed Efforts in Implementing the Revitalised Peace Agreement

23 September 2024, DJIBOUTI, Djibouti: The Executive Secretary of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), H.E. Workneh Gebeyehu (PhD), takes note of the extension of the Transitional Period of the Revitalised Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan (R-ARCSS) by twenty-four (24) months, from February 2025 to February 2027, and the rescheduling of elections from December 2024 to December 2026.

The Executive Secretary welcomes the consensual manner in which the decision was made and urges the Parties and the R-TGoNU to embrace and cultivate this spirit of dialogue, consultation, and consensus-building in all matters of governance, particularly in decision-making and conflict resolution.

The Executive Secretary also calls upon the Parties and the R-TGoNU to spare no effort and allocate adequate funding to complete the outstanding tasks within the extended period, ensuring timely elections. As this is the fourth extension since the signing of the R-ARCSS on 12 September 2018, it is incumbent upon the Parties to implement the agreement earnestly and with a sense of urgency. In this regard, IGAD expects the Parties and the R-TGoNU to present a concrete action plan for implementation, alongside a feasible funding strategy.

IGAD, as the guarantor of the R-ARCSS, will continue to closely monitor its implementation and support the democratic aspirations of the peace partners and the people of the Republic of South Sudan.