South Sudan election roadmap urged by African Union

An African Union committee urged South Sudan on Tuesday to resolve remaining obstacles before its first national election, scheduled for December 22, and to set a clear roadmap for a credible vote.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, who chairs the AU committee focused on South Sudan, said the government should move quickly to address unresolved challenges so elections can be free, fair and credible.

South Sudan's elections have twice been postponed. The government has not implemented almost any of the preconditions set out in a 2018 peace agreement that ended a five-year civil war.

President Salva Kiir last week dissolved the transitional government and appointed a caretaker administration ahead of the vote. No voters have been registered, rival armies have not been unified and a long-awaited constitution has not materialised.

The AU committee called for a "feasible, consensual and time-bound electoral roadmap" and for all parties to comply with the 2018 peace deal and respect a ceasefire, Ramaphosa said. He also said Kiir's administration must release all political prisoners to support an inclusive political environment.

Djibouti President Ismail Omar Guelleh, head of the East African regional bloc IGAD, described "significantly heightened tensions and risks of renewed" conflict and repeated an urgent call for a clear transition roadmap.