A new and bigger assembly hall for members of Jonglei State’s parliament has been completed and handed over to the state government on Thursday, the UN mission said.

The construction of the new assembly hall was funded by the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) and implemented by the national non-governmental organization Impact Action.

“I would like to thank UNMISS for this spacious building because it will make it possible to organizer larger-scale events,” said Amer Ateny Alier, Speaker of Jonglei’s Transitional Legislative Assembly. “I urge all institutions to make the most of it and work hard for peace and development.”

While the old assembly hall was built as recently as 2010, it was designed to fulfill the needs of the 40 members of parliament at that time and hence unable to house the more than 100 lawmakers that have been serving at any given time since the signing of the 2018 peace agreement.

“This building provides a conducive environment for political deliberations by the people’s representatives and offer additional space for other activities and institutions as well, like the secretariat,” said Gilbert Nantsa, Officer-in-Charge of the peacekeeping mission’s Field Office in Bor.

At a cost of approximately $50,000, the funding of the new hall is part of the UNMISS Quick Impact Project programme, which finances local low-cost initiatives.

South Sudan is currently governed by a transitional government created after the 2018 peace agreement between President Salva Kiir, opposition leader Riek Machar and other political figures.

In August 2022, the parties to the agreement extended the transitional government for two years beyond the scheduled date, citing difficulties in implementing the peace agreement.

The parties, however, assured the South Sudanese population and the international community that these difficulties would be resolved before the elections, scheduled for December 2024.