President William Ruto recently met with South Sudan’s opposition Hold-Out Group, agreeing to postpone peace talks until March 2025 to allow for further consultations. This decision follows ongoing concerns regarding the political landscape in South Sudan, particularly after the SPLM-IO withdrew from the Tumaini Peace Initiative citing overreach and governance violations. The country faces significant humanitarian crises amid political instability.
President William Ruto has met with South Sudan’s major opposition group, the Hold-Out Group, resulting in significant agreements on the peace mediation process. This meeting comes amid heightened diplomatic concerns regarding Kenya’s role in hosting the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) from Sudan. Following a request from South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir Mayardit, both parties decided to postpone the Tumaini Peace Initiative talks until March 2025 to allow for further consultations.
In a public statement, Ruto indicated that the Kenyan mediation process, which has been active for eleven months, aims to alleviate the ongoing political stalemate in South Sudan that has caused serious humanitarian and security issues. The Opposition Hold-Out Group’s delegation included prominent leaders such as Generals Pagan Amum, Paul Malong, Stephen Buoy, and Mario Lada.
This engagement occurs approximately seven months after the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement Opposition (SPLM-IO), led by Riek Machar, withdrew from the Tumaini Peace Initiative talks in Nairobi. Machar accused the discussions of exceeding their mandate, thus undermining the revitalized peace agreement and South Sudan’s sovereignty.
Machar’s statement highlighted concerns regarding process violations and the establishment of parallel institutions that conflicted with the existing Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCSS). The SPLM/SPLA (IO) formally rejected the initiative, stating it had diverged from its intended purpose as a supplement to R-ARCSS.
South Sudan continues to grapple with political turbulence as opposition parties clash with the government over critical issues. These include security arrangements, ceasefire protocols, humanitarian access, trust-building, land disputes, community violence, arms proliferation, and the roles of the nation’s guarantors.
In summary, President Ruto’s engagement with South Sudan’s Hold-Out Group underscores ongoing efforts to mediate peace in a region fraught with instability. The postponement of peace talks highlights the complexities in finding common ground among opposing factions. While the SPLM-IO’s withdrawal points to serious governance challenges, the ongoing consultations aim to address pressing humanitarian and security issues in South Sudan.
Original Source: www.kenyans.co.ke
