Kiir, Machar agreed ‘in principle’ to extend transitional period – official

JUBA – President Salva Kiir Mayardit and his first deputy, Dr. Riek Machar Teny, have agreed – in principle – for extension of the transitional period and are considering if the extension would be for 28 or 32 months, a senior presidential aide said.

This comes days after the minister of cabinet affairs Martin Elia Lomuro told reporters following an extraordinary cabinet meeting in Juba last week that the presidency had agreed to form an inclusive team to make amendments for a proposal presented by President Kiir on the peace roadmap.

A presidential aide, who has direct knowledge of the consultations and discussions between the parties to the agreement over the transitional period, said Kiir and Machar, and the whole presidency, have agreed for the extension of the transitional period.

“His Excellency, the President of the Republic [of South Sudan] and His Excellency, the First Vice President have agreed in principle to extend the lifespan of the current transitional government national unity,” the unnamed aide is quoted as saying by Sudan Tribune.

“The other vice presidents, actually the presidency as a whole agreed,” the aide added.

The senior government official further said that the agreed extension of the transitional period now awaits other signatories to the revitalized peace agreement in order for them to incorporate their views so as an announcement is made for the extension.

“There is a talk currently going on between the leaders. They are consulting each other as parties, as comrades in the government as colleagues in the liberation struggle, and in their capacities as senior citizens to come to terms with the realities of the situation and forge a consensus. Some are talking of 28 months; others are talking of 32 months,” he said.

“This is now the talk which the parties will have to decide before their decisions are taken to the council of ministers and the Reconstituted Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission before it goes to parliament for rectification,” he added.