By Philip Buda Ladu
Kenyan President William Ruto is scheduled to visit Juba Today, Wednesday, November 6th, at the invitation of President Salva Kiir Mayardit to provide an update on the Tumaini Initiative.
“President Ruto will be coming to inform, compare notes, touch base, and update President Kiir on the peace talks,” said Lily Martin Manyiel Ayuel, press secretary in the Office of the President.
The Tumaini Initiative, a peace process aimed at addressing the root causes of conflict in South Sudan was launched earlier this year in Nairobi, replacing the Rome Peace Talks initiated by the Sant’Egidio Community in Rome.
It seeks to bring non-signatories to the 2018 revitalized peace agreement on board to foster a lasting peace in the war-torn nation.
In the past months, negotiations progressed well with the parties signing eight protocols. However, the protocol on Responsibility Sharing (power sharing) remained unfinished, according to mediators.
Last month, the chief mediator told the East African that the parties were expected to sign the final agreement in November following the completion of nine protocols touching on key agenda items.
However, there have been no updates on the progress of the talks which appeared to have stalled.
Mrs. Lily clarified that the visit is crucial to dispel rumours and misconceptions surrounding the initiative.
She emphasized that President Kiir remains committed to a peaceful resolution and that the Tumaini Initiative is a key component of his strategy.
“There’s so much (bad) impression going out there that His Excellency, the President, has aborted, abandoned, and is no more interested in the Tumaini Initiative,” Ayuel said.
“H.E, the President, wants a lasting peace in South Sudan. He wants gun silence forever in South Sudan and that is his ultimate goal,” she added.
The press secretary said the leaders are anxious, and they want to know what is happening in regards to the Tumaini peace process which discussions has stalled for some time now since the government delegation returned to Juba last month.
“H.E President Kiir is totally on board with the issue of Tumaini and that’s why President Ruto is here to update, the President, in regards to the peace Initiative” she emphasized.
In a statement on posted on his Facebook Page on Tuesday, Ruto confirmed his one-day working visit to Juba.
“I will be meeting His Excellency President Salva Kiir Mayardit in an engagement that leads us towards the final signature and implementation of the Tumaini Initiative,” the statement read.
He also highlighted his follow-up engagements with the South Sudan Government delegation that visited Nairobi last week.
“I met Opposition parties’ representatives to the Tumaini Initiative. They confirmed their readiness to sign the Tumaini Consensus, the product of sustained inclusive negotiations,” Ruto proclaimed.
President Ruto, as the lead negotiator of the Tumaini Initiative, will provide a detailed update on the progress made thus far and discuss future steps with President Kiir.
The visit underscores the importance of regional cooperation in addressing South Sudan’s ongoing challenges and the commitment of both leaders to a peaceful and stable future for the nation.