CEPO Urges Swift Conclusion of Tumaini Peace Talks Before November 2024

The Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO) has called upon the President and First Vice President to prioritize the conclusion of the Tumaini Peace Talks before the onset of the newly extended two-year transitional period in November 2024. Emphasizing the crucial link between the Tumaini peace outcome and the pending tasks of the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCSS), CEPO highlights the necessity of a seamless transition from violence to lasting peace and stability.

Mr. Edmund Yakani, Executive Director of CEPO, underscored the importance of expediting the Tumaini Peace Talks to align with the extended political transitional period. He attributed the current delays in the peace process to concerns held by certain individuals regarding potential changes in power dynamics resulting from the responsibility-sharing agreements embedded in the talks.

Furthermore, Yakani expressed concerns over external influences attempting to sway top political leadership into believing that the Tumaini Peace Talks are undermining the R-ARCSS and advocating for government replacement. He clarified that such allegations are baseless and reiterated that Tumaini offers a practical strategy and framework to facilitate genuine transitional processes within the established framework of the R-ARCSS.

In its final plea, CEPO urged the political leadership to accelerate the Tumaini peace negotiations to ensure their timely conclusion before November 2024. The organization emphasizes the critical role of these talks in paving the way for a sustainable peacebuilding process in South Sudan.