Kenya-led South Sudan Peace Talks Reach Final Stages in Nairobi

The peace talks between South Sudan’s government and holdout groups in Nairobi, Kenya, have reached their concluding phases.

South Sudan’s Information Minister, Michael Makuei, announced on the state-owned South Sudan Broadcasting Corporation (SSBC) on Friday that the discussions are nearing completion.

“Talks have progressed well. Significant signs of progress have been made and have now reached final stages”, stated Makuei, although he did not provide further details.

Sources with direct knowledge of the negotiations confirmed the substantial progress, noting that the parties are currently fine-tuning technical details and language with the mediation team.

Critics of the selection process for the talks argue for broader inclusion to reflect diverse perspectives and address underlying issues. Opposition groups not involved in the talks claim the process is designed to facilitate the return of former army chief of staff Paul Malong, Stephen Buoy Rolyang, and Pagan Amum.

These leaders assert their focus is on addressing the root causes of the 2013 conflict, which stemmed from a split within the ruling Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) that led to widespread violence and thousands of deaths.

Initial tensions between the holdout groups and the government delegation, the two main parties in the talks, required the mediation team to intervene and assure the safety of some opposition figures who feared assassination threats from government officials.

On July 1, 2024, three opposition figures seeking inclusion criticized their exclusion, blaming three key members of the non-signatory groups of the September 2018 revitalized peace agreement for their sidelining.

This new group, representing various political and military organizations, claimed Malong, Amum, and Buoy threatened to abandon the process if the new parties were included. This threat, they argue, jeopardizes the peace efforts.

According to a statement obtained by the Sudan Tribune, the threats by Pagan Amum, Paul Malong, and Stephen Buoy Rolnyang to withdraw if other parties joined the peace process are described as “hallow.”

The statement criticizes these leaders for only including their “kin and kith” in the peace efforts, questioning their ability to advance a national agenda.

It stresses that leaders must be “selfless and high of integrity” to be credible, implying that Amum, Malong, and Rolnyang are failing in this regard. The statement goes on to challenge these leaders, asking what alternatives they have if they abandon the Tumaini initiative, noting their lack of military power and credibility.

It urges President Salva Kiir Mayardit and President William Samoei Ruto to reassess the peace process and ensure it includes all South Sudanese, highlighting that the Tumaini initiative should be the focal point for national unity if it is genuine.

“Threats by pagan Amum, Paul Malong, and Stephen Buoy Rolnyang that the other parties were to be part of the process then they will quit are hallow as their call for unity. The participants they brought to the peace process are only their kin and kith, tribal that they cannot champion any national agenda. Leaders should be selfless and high of integrity if they are to be believed. However, the individuals in question are tribal and trivial. If they quit the Tumaini initiative, what alternative do they have? They have no military threat and are stained. We urge His Excellency President Salva Kiir Mayardit and President William Samoei Ruto to review and re-assess the current peace process. His excellency the president needs to redirect the mediators that all South Sudanese matter and the Tumaini, if genuine, is the only center of gravity for national unity”.

The statement from “The Equatoria’s People Alliance,” signed by Emmanuel Sunday, Chairman of the South Sudan United Front Progressive; Deng Vanang, Chairman and Commander in Chief of the United Democratic Revolutionary Movement/Army; and Major General Peter Choul Gatluak, Chairman and Commander in Chief of the Nilotia People Defense Movement/Forces, called on Presidents Kiir and Ruto to ensure their inclusion in the peace process.

SOURCE: SUDAN TRIBUNE