South Sudan, Kenya to resume peace talks in Nairobi

JUBA, South Sudan

South Sudanese and Kenyan leaders have agreed to resume mediation efforts in  Nairobi to address unresolved issues in the South Sudan peace process.

The agreement came after a high-level meeting in Juba, South Sudan, between Kenyan President William Ruto and South Sudanese President Salva Kiir Mayardit, joined by First Vice President Riek Machar.

The talks are part of the Tumaini Initiative, launched in May 2024, aiming to mediate conflicts involving holdout opposition groups that have yet to endorse the 2018 Revitalised Agreement on the Resolution of Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCSS).

So far, nine protocols have been agreed upon, marking significant progress in the peace negotiations.

“It is encouraging to see that the gaps between the government and opposition can be bridged, paving the way for a new era of sustainable peace and prosperity,” President Ruto said.

He further emphasised the importance of regional cooperation by announcing plans to engage the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) for broader regional and international support.

“We agreed to involve IGAD to engage the entire region and secure international support for political goodwill, both regionally and globally,” he said.

The Tumaini Initiative, led by President Ruto and former Kenyan Army Commander Major-General Lazarus Sumbeiywo, resumed after earlier disruptions. South Sudanese President Kiir highlighted the importance of completing the mediation process within two weeks and directed the mediation team to finalise outstanding issues promptly.

On May 9, 2024, Nairobi officially launched the Tumaini Initiative, a high-level mediation process aiming at resolving the conflict in South Sudan. It seeks to bring together all South Sudanese holdout groups that have not signed the 2018 Revitalised Agreement on the Resolution of Conflict in South Sudan.

The Tumaini Initiative marks a shift in the South Sudan peace process. In December 2023, South Sudan’s President, Salva Kiir, requested that President Ruto take over the lead from the Community of Sant’Egidio, an Italian peace organisation that had been facilitating the talks in Rome.

President Kiir expressed frustration with the stalled progress in Rome, stating that the discussions with opposition groups had failed to yield a lasting solution.

However, the Kenya-led peace talks encountered a setback in July, when some South Sudanese government representatives raised concerns over specific mechanisms proposed in the negotiations.

The Tumaini Initiative includes participation from major holdout groups, including the Real Sudan People’s Liberation Movement led by Pagan Amum; the South Sudan United Front, led by former SSPDF Chief of Staff Paul Malong Awan; and the South Sudan People’s Movement/Army (SSPM/A), under the leadership of Gen. Stephen Buoy Rolnyang. 

The involvement of these groups is critical to achieving a comprehensive peace deal, as they represent significant factions outside the revitalised 2018 peace agreement.