The United States, the United Kingdom and Norway expressed "deep concern" on Saturday at the announcement of a two-year delay in elections in South Sudan, terming the extension of a transitional government a "failure.

The government of South Sudan is holding an emergency cabinet meeting hours after it announced that long-delayed national elections would be postponed by two years. The polls were due to take place this December.

South Sudan has battled flooding, hunger and violence, while its leaders have appeared reluctant to risk going to the polls and are accused of massive corruption. Earlier this month, the U.N.'s humanitarian agency warned that more than 700,000 people had been affected by flooding, with aid failing to meet many in need.

International guarantors of South Sudan's peace process said the transitional government's postponement of elections due in December was disappointing and showed its failure to implement a 2018 peace plan.

The government in South Sudan has postponed elections scheduled for December for two years citing the need to complete processes such as a census, the drafting of a permanent constitution and registration of political parties.

President Cyril Ramaphosa says South Africa will continue to support South Sudan following a decision to extend the transitional period agreed in a peace deal.