South Sudan’s presidency has announced the postponement of the country’s long-awaited elections for another two years.

In a Facebook post by Kiir’s office on Friday evening, the presidency announced “the extension of the transitional period in the country for two years, in addition to the postponement of the elections scheduled for December 2024 to December 22, 2026,” according to a Facebook post by Kiir’s office.

The statement quoted Cabinet Affairs Minister Martin Elia Lomoro as saying that the extension was “in response to the recommendations of the electoral institutions and the security corps”.

Residents of the young nation, which has been plagued by violence and political infighting, have been waiting to elect a leader since independence from Sudan in 2011.