South Sudan postpones long-delayed election by two years, presidency says

NAIROBI (Reuters) -South Sudan's government has decided to postpone a long-delayed national election until December 2026, the presidency said on Friday, underscoring the challenges facing the country's fragile peace process.

"The presidency, under the chairmanship of President Salva Kiir Mayardit, has announced an extension of the country's transitional period by two years as well as postponing elections, which were initially scheduled for December 2024 to December 22nd, 2026," Kiir's office said on Facebook.

South Sudan has been formally at peace since a 2018 deal ended a five-year conflict responsible for hundreds of thousands of deaths, but violence between rival communities flares frequently.

Until Friday's announcement, it was planning to choose leaders to succeed the current transitional government, which includes Kiir and First Vice President Riek Machar, whose respective forces battled each other during the civil war.

"There is a need for additional time to complete essential tasks before the polls," Kiir's office said.

(Writing by Ammu Kannampilly; Editing by George Obulutsa and Alison Williams)