President William Ruto with President Salva Kiir of South Sudan at the Office of The President in Juba, in December 2022.
High-level mediation for South Sudan resumed in Nairobi on Wednesday after a four-month break, amid optimism that the parties will reach a deal before Christmas.
The resumed talks will involve a reconstituted government delegation and opposition, civil society and religious groups.
The groups have 14 days to reach an agreement on the outstanding protocols, Trust and Confidence Building, Guarantors, and the Implementation Matrix.
Chief mediator Lazaro Sumbeiywo paid tribute to the South Sudan Opposition Movements Alliance (Ssoma), which stayed in Nairobi while the government delegation returned to Juba, saying it was a strong indication that all parties were committed to a peaceful and united South Sudan.
“We hope that trust and confidence-building will help us to reach an agreement soon to lay the ground for permanent constitution-making and the preparation for credible elections,” Gen (Rtd) Sumbeiywo said.
Before the talks took a break in August due to disagreements over the nature and the tone of some of the protocols, the groups had agreed on eight protocols: Confidence-Building Measures; Communal violence and Land Issues; Justice Sector Reforms, Transitional Justice and Accountability; Security Sector Reforms; Permanent Constitution Process; Economic Recovery; Humanitarian Access and Support; and Responsibility/Power Sharing.
The Government of National Unity delegation is led by General Kuol Manyang, while Ssoma is led by Real SPLM leader Pagan Amum. The main point of contention between the two groups is when the Tumaini Agreement will complement or replace the 2018 peace deal, officially known as the Revitalised Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan (R-ARCSS).
The government wants the Tumaini Consensus as an annex to the R-ARCSS, the opposition wants it as a stand-alone agreement, while stakeholders -- civil society, women, youth and religious leaders -- have proposed that it encompasses both.
Kenya's Principal Secretary for Foreign and Diaspora Affairs, Korir Sing'oei, said the Tumaini deal was not meant to replace the 2018 peace agreement, but to support its implementation.
“With the resumption of the talks, we hope that the parties will not squander the newfound goodwill. The 14 days will be pivotal in establishing a new future for South Sudan, and we should give the people a Christmas gift through an agreement,” Dr Sing’oei said.
