By Bosco Bush
As the parties to Tumaini peace talks break for short Christmas holidays, South Sudan Civil Society Forum [SSCSF] is urging sustained dialogue to break barriers and reach a unanimous consensus.
The group believes that, approaching the next round of talks with the rationale for dialogue, commitment and compromises will give an enabling ground for peace to reign.
They made this call following a 3-day strategic meeting at the peace venue in Nairobi from 16th-18th December, where SSCSF members also met with the High-level Mediation team, Opposition Groups and Stakeholders.
The engagements were aimed at reiterating the citizens’ urge for peace, to counter misinformation about the Tumaini Peace Process and to encourage the Mediators, Parties and Stakeholders to remain committed towards the successful conclusion of the talks.
The group said, it has followed the Tumaini Peace Initiative with keen interest, reviewed its progress, and urged the government to exercise continued commitment through constructive dialogue and compromise with the opposition groups as well as the stakeholders to address the contentious issues in the peace process.
“We urge you to demonstrate continued commitment to the peace process by prioritizing sustained, constructive dialogue and compromise with the Opposition Groups and Stakeholders to address outstanding issues and find common ground to successfully conclude the Tumaini Initiative,” partially read the statement.
SSCSF further urged the government to uphold signed commitments by adhering to the principles outlined in previous accords and adopting necessary measures to expedite the Tumaini Peace Initiative.
“This includes assigning a fully mandated delegation to resume talks in good faith on dates provided by the mediation team,” it stated.
The Civil Society Forum appreciates the decorum exercised by all parties so far and calls on the government to continue cooperating fully with the mediation team, including providing necessary political and logistical support. Refrain from unilateral actions and utterances that could undermine the peace process to ensure a smooth conclusion to the mediation efforts.
To the Opposition Groups, SSCSF encourages the opposition to put the interest of the South Sudanese first and engage in constructive dialogue with the government and other stakeholders to find peaceful solutions to the myriad challenges facing our country.
“Put the needs and aspirations of the South Sudanese people at the forefront of decisions made within the Tumaini Peace Initiative.”
They urged the opposition groups and other non-signatories to refrain from the use of violence, remain committed to nonviolent political solutions, and uphold principles of International Humanitarian Law and International Human Rights laws, including the protection of civilians.
Tumaini Initiative Peace talks are expected to resume on the 6th of January 2025, in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi as previously announced by the High-level Mediation team.