By Bosco Bush
President Salva Kiir Mayardit has on Wednesday, July 24, 2024, traveled to Pretoria, South Africa for a working visit with his counterpart President Cyril Ramaphosa.
According to the office of the President, the visit is to discuss peace and stability in South Sudan as well as strengthening ties between Juba and Pretoria.
Kiir will also brief Ramaphosa on the progress of the ongoing Nairobi Tumaini Peace Initiative, aimed at reaching a political consensus between the government and the opposition holdout groups.
South Africa’s role as a member of the C5, a group of guarantors of the South Sudanese peace agreement, further underscores the importance of the meeting between the two leaders.
South Sudan is set to go for polls in December 2024 in a bid to end the rulings by transitional governments since attaining independence.
However, the parties to the agreement are yet to dialogue and have a unified position on whether the country is prepared to conduct elections or fully implement the outstanding tasks before elections.
Sudan Peoples’ Liberation Movement – in government (SPLM-IG), South Sudan Opposition Alliance (SSOA), among other parties have made their decision to go for elections. While the Sudan Peoples’ Liberation Movement – in opposition (SPLM-IO) are demanding for the implementation of key provisions of the agreement before elections.
Currently the National Unity Government is negotiating with the South Sudan Opposition Movement Alliance (SSOMA) and other holdout groups through the Tumaini Initiative in Nairobi in an effort to reach consensus and further strengthen peace and stability across the country.