South Sudan’s government and opposition groups have taken a significant step toward lasting peace, signing the Declaration of Commitment to the Tumaini (Hope) Initiative during the Nairobi Mediation process on Thursday. This milestone agreement sees the parties pledging to adhere to outcomes determined by the mediation process participants.
The Tumaini Initiative builds on previous agreements dating back to 2020, when negotiations began under the auspices of the Sant’ Egidio Catholic Community in Rome. This initiative marks a crucial phase in formal mediation efforts.
Later on Thursday, President William Ruto met with foreign envoys and donor groups supporting South Sudan at State House in Nairobi. Notable attendees included British High Commissioner Neil Wigan, U.S. Ambassador Meg Whitman, and representatives from China, Saudi Arabia, Norway, Germany, Italy, the EU, Qatar, and the UAE. President Ruto commended the diplomats for their invaluable contributions to South Sudan’s peace and stability.
“We are looking forward to the success of the Tumaini Initiative, which promises to empower South Sudanese to build a prosperous future for their country and region,” Ruto stated.
The declaration, coinciding with the 41st anniversary of the Sudanese Peoples’ Liberation Movement (SPLM), was signed by South Sudan’s transitional government of national unity (TGoNU), the Real-SPLM led by Pagan Amum, and the South Sudan United Front (SSUF) led by former Army Chief Paul Malong. Supportive participants included civil society groups, women, youth, academia, religious organizations, and the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD), acting as guarantors.
As a first step, the parties provided their positions on various issues. Each party will now send two representatives to a secretariat tasked with addressing outstanding issues by midday Friday.
Chief Mediator Lt. Gen. Lazarus Sumbeiywo emphasized that this declaration marks the start of genuine negotiations to address the root causes of South Sudan’s conflict and enhance the people’s capacity for development, including farming.
“There can never be an opportunity for the parties to commit themselves to the next phase of the South Sudan peace process, since the process is inclusive. It is not about if, but when because peace will come,” Sumbeiywo asserted.
Sumbeiywo clarified that the focus is on ending violence rather than setting timelines for the December 2024 elections, which some observers had hoped for. “There are no timelines because our aim is not elections. Our mission is to stop the violence in South Sudan,” he told The East African.
However, not all opposition groups are on board. Some members of the South Sudan Opposition Movement Alliance (SSOMA), including the National Salvation Front (NAS) led by Gen. Thomas Cirillo and the National Democratic Movement Patriotic Front (NDM-PF) led by Emmanuel Ajawin, have boycotted the Nairobi Mediation. Consequently, mediation efforts are addressing individual groups rather than the entire alliance. Despite this, some factions, like SPLM-Kitguang, have shown interest in joining the process.
Pagan Amum, representing opposition groups, reiterated their commitment to working with the government to bring peace to South Sudan. “We in the opposition pledge our full commitment to work in collaboration with the government delegation to bring peace to our people without discrimination,” Amum stated.
The ongoing negotiations stem from the Rome Initiative, which ran from 2020 until March 2023. After talks stalled, President Salva Kiir requested President Ruto to take over the mediation from the Sant’ Egidio community in December 2023, a request Ruto accepted in February after consultations with the community.
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