The African Union backs South Sudan's 26 December elections, while Cyril Ramaphosa warns that major political, security and institutional obstacles threaten credible polls.

The African Union (AU) has decided that South Sudan should press ahead and hold its first democratic elections on 26 December, despite widespread fears that elections under present unfavourable conditions would lack credibility and could provoke further violence.

The AU's C5 committee on South Sudan, chaired by President Cyril Ramaphosa, held a virtual meeting on Tuesday, 29 September, to review the country's readiness for elections, which have been postponed five times since 2015. The other members of the committee are Algeria, Chad, Nigeria and Rwanda, but Ramaphosa was the only president of the C5 members present.

South Sudan's President Salva Kiir also attended.

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The deputy chairperson of the AU Commission, Selma Malika Haddadi, told the meeting that the South Sudan government had expressed its commitment to elections on 26 December "and it is important that the necessary momentum be maintained".

Ramaphosa, however, said that the committee was "mindful of the many challenges and tremendous work that still lie ahead".

He noted that the transition to democracy required more than just elections. It also required the creation of the conditions to make elections free, fair and credible.

"We urge the government of South Sudan to work with speed to resolve...