The government has announced its decision to pause the Nairobi peace talks, known as the Tumaini Initiative, to prioritize resolving internal peace hurdles stemming from the 2018 revitalized agreement.
Speaking to the media on Saturday, government spokesperson Michael Makuei highlighted that internal divisions within the main opposition, a key signatory of the peace agreement, are hindering progress.
He emphasized that these internal conflicts pose a greater challenge to peace implementation than the external holdout groups engaged in the Tumaini Initiative.
“The major problem is not the holdout groups in the Tumaini Initiative. Our issue lies with those within the government itself,” Makuei stated. “We must first address these internal holdout groups (SPLM-IO’s division) before reaching out to our brothers and sisters outside.”
Following the recent political conflict, the government categorized the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement in Opposition (SPLM-IO) into four groups: those in conflict with the law and under investigation, those in hiding, self-exiles, and those within the government.
Makuei emphasized that resolving internal issues is a prerequisite for engaging non-signatories to the 2018 peace accord. He clarified that this approach does not signify neglecting external holdout groups but aims to foster inclusivity.
“We have not abandoned the holdout groups involved in the Nairobi Tumaini Initiative. However, we must first address internal matters to ensure unity before moving forward together,” Makuei explained. “Once united, we can then reach out to those outside the government.”
The Tumaini Initiative, launched on May 9, 2024, in Nairobi, Kenya, was designed to facilitate peace between the South Sudan government and holdout groups excluded from the 2018 revitalized agreement. The initiative was spearheaded by the Kenyan government at the request of President Salva Kiir, following delays in the Rome peace talks.
However, the Tumaini Initiative faced significant setbacks in July 2024 when the main opposition party, SPLM-IO, withdrew from the talks. The party argued that the signed protocol undermined the 2018 agreement, R-ARCSS, and overstepped its intended role as a mediation forum.
The SPLM-IO had earlier issued a statement criticizing the Tumaini Initiative for assuming multiple roles, including funding, supervising, coordinating, and monitoring peace efforts, which they claimed undermined South Sudan’s sovereignty.
“The Tumaini Initiative has arrogated to itself numerous roles, including acting as a funder, supervisor, coordinator, convener of donor conferences, fund manager, implementation monitor, guarantor, and governing authority. This undermines the sovereignty of the Republic of South Sudan,” SPLM-IO stated in July 2024.
