South Sudanese parties have agreed to extend the period for the formation of a transitional government by six months, the Ethiopian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Friday.
The decision was reached at following a meeting involving the parties involved in the South Sudan Revitalize Peace Agreement in Addis Ababa between 2nd and 3rd May, in which they reviewed the status of the Pre-Transitional tasks as the Pre-Transition period was due to expire on 12 May 2019.
The Ethiopian MFA said the parties had unanimously agreed to extend the deadline by another six months as there were some tasks that were still pending.
The ministry said that the South Sudanese government had pledged to support the process and allocate the required budget for the successful implementation of the remaining Pre-Transitional tasks.
The May2-3 talks in Addis Ababa were presided over by Ethiopia’s State Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia, H.E. Mrs. Hirut Zemene.
Zemene commended the parties for their commitment to reaching such an important decision. She also urged the South Sudanese parties to commit themselves to implementing the key pending tasks in the next six months.
South Sudan has been dogged by a civil war since December 2013, killing tens of thousands and displacing millions of others.
The United Nations last year ranked the country as Africa’s biggest refugee crisis, coming third worldwide after Syria and Afghanistan.
The factions signed a renewed peace deal in September 2018, which they hope will lead to lasting peace.
Parties to South Sudan’s Revitalized Peace Agreement have agreed to extend the period for the formation of a transitional government by six months. https://t.co/wiTwxUIFx5 #SouthSudan @igadsecretariat #Ethiopia @NEBGET pic.twitter.com/8296k6o4Ri
— The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of #Ethiopia 🇪🇹 (@mfaethiopia) May 3, 2019
