By Charles K Mark
Executive Director of Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO), Edmond Yakani, expressed optimism about the ongoing peace negotiations taking place in Nairobi, Kenya.
Yakani stated that the non-signatories to the Revitalized Peace Agreement (R-ARCSS) are participating in the deliberations with honesty and openness.
He added that the concerns being presented and discussed in the negotiations have been constructive and effective so far.
“The spirit is a spirit of sincerity. People are speaking the truth; they are speaking with honesty and openness. It is my hope that they continue with this spirit. So that they produce a peace deal that will bring genuine peace back to the country,” Yakani said.
The civil society activist who is in Nairobi explained that after some presentations from the holdout groups, the transitional government will then go ahead and respond to the issues raised, and then negotiations will continue.
“Issues in discussions are collective concerns that range from justice to economic imbalance, insecurity, and governance,” he highlighted.
Yakani appealed to the citizens back home to pray that the Nairobi negotiations result in success.
The commencement of the High-Level Mediation for South Sudan in Nairobi, Kenya, represents a crucial milestone toward establishing lasting peace and stability, according to the Interim Chairperson of the Reconstituted Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (RJMEC).
Ambassador Major General (retired) Charles Tai Gituai remarked during the launch of negotiations between the holdout groups and the Revitalized Transitional Government of National Unity (RTGoNU) in Nairobi on Thursday, May 9, 2024.
“This courageous and decisive move toward facilitating dialogue among the government, the holdout groups, and the citizens of the Republic of South Sudan is commendable,” he said.
During his opening keynote remarks, President Salva Kiir Mayardit said, “We hope that the opposition groups have a similar conviction and desire for peace in South Sudan, which, when fully achieved, will bring everlasting stability and economic development in the region, not just South Sudan.”