The White House

The US government says it cannot decide on whether the elections should take place in South Sudan next year or not.

The US Special Envoy to Sudan and South Sudan said it is upon the people of South Sudan to make that decision.

Last week, President Salva Kiir told the BBC Hardtalk program that he was instructed by the U.S not to hold elections next year, in order to allow the country to recover from the conflict.

However, Ambassador Donald Booth said the U.S is only pushing for critical reforms in the country.

Amb Booth said, during a phone conference with journalists yesterday from Washington DC, that the U.S does not have any say on the elections in South Sudan.

“They will be the ones to decide what the transitional arrangement will be, what the transitional government will like, and what the calendar for the transition should look like,” he stated.

“The United States does not have a position on when the elections should be.”

Amb Booth said all stakeholders in South Sudan should decide on the reforms agenda in the Addis Ababa peace talks.

He said the US government, together and the International community, will support the process.

“We believe that what is needed though is a transitional period that will see critical reforms in the country, including writing of a new permanent constitution and the time that that will take will dictate when elections should be held.”

Ambassador Donald Booth also said that the deployment of a protection and deterrent force to South Sudan may take place next week to help monitor the implementation of the cessation of hostilities agreement.