South Sudan Peace Talks Set to Resume in Nairobi as Civil Society Calls for Accountability
The Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO) has warmly welcomed the confirmation of a new government delegation returning to Nairobi for the resumption of peace talks, a much-anticipated development following recent decisions by South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir and Kenyan President William Ruto. This initiative marks a crucial step towards achieving a genuine political transition in the nation.
Edmund Yakani, Executive Director of CEPO, emphasized the importance of accountability from both negotiating parties. He stressed that the government delegation must act decisively to finalize the Tumaini Initiative within the next two weeks without delays. “During this phase of mediation, both parties should embrace flexibility and high political compromises, sidestepping any culture of rigidity or procrastination,” Yakani stated.
President Kiir’s recent signing of an official document to form a new delegation for peace talks with holdout opposition groups has paved the way for these negotiations. According to multiple government officials who spoke to Journalists on the condition of anonymity, the document’s signing aims to establish a fresh negotiating team tasked with hammering out a peace agreement.
Gen. Kuol Manyang Juuk, a senior presidential advisor and deputy to Kiir in the ruling SPLM party, has been appointed as the head of this new delegation. The 15-member team also includes Puot Kang Chuol, a senior figure in the opposition SPLM-IO, who will serve as the deputy head. Dr. Martin Alia Lomuro has taken over as the rapporteur, succeeding Information Minister Michael Makuei, whose replacement remains unexplained.
The delegation incorporates a mix of seasoned politicians, with notable members including Dr. Lam Akol Ajawin, Rebecca Joshua Okwachi, Ambassador Beatrice Khamisa Wani, and cabinet ministers Martin Abucha and Peter Marcello. The new team offers a blend of fresh perspectives and familiar faces, all committed to the peace process.
President Ruto acknowledged the receipt of President Kiir’s message via Special Envoy and Minister for Presidential Affairs Chol Ajongo, underlining the significance of pursuing lasting peace in South Sudan for its citizens and the East African region. He reiterated the importance of the Tumaini Initiative, which aims to unite government and opposition parties in this noble endeavor.
The resumption of the Tumaini Initiative talks faced initial delays earlier this week, as the government delegation failed to appear at the Nairobi venue. However, following President Ruto’s visit to Juba and subsequent discussions with key South Sudanese leaders, the peace process is back on track.
The talks, part of a peace initiative launched in May 2024, aim to mediate conflicts involving holdout opposition groups that have yet to endorse the 2018 Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCSS). Major international donors, including the European Union and the Troika group of nations, have expressed their backing for the Tumaini Initiative, highlighting its potential to pave the way for stability in South Sudan.
