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.
No comments:
Post a Comment