By Kei Emmanuel Duku
Executive Director of the Community Empowerment for Progress Organization, Edmund Yakani, has urged delegates to exhibit a spirit of peace and compromise ahead of the resumption of the second phase of the Tumaini Peace Talks scheduled for next week in Kenya.
Yakani’s statement follows a said consultative meeting held by the Presidency in Juba yesterday to review the progress made during the initial stages of the talks and address the challenges encountered.
He acknowledged that the peace process has faced challenges, hindering negotiators from meeting their initial deadlines.
However, Yakani emphasized that for the Tumaini Peace Talks to achieve their intended objectives, the government delegation and the opposition delegations must embrace compromise in Nairobi during the upcoming round of mediation.
He stated that while political differences are inevitable, the focus should remain on finding common ground for the betterment of South Sudanese citizens.
“We are aware that this is a political process, and each party may have strong positions. However, it is crucial to avoid rigidity, intolerance, and any form of immature behavior during these negotiations,” said Yakani.
He further appealed to President Kiir to reduce the size of the government delegation to the peace process. He argued that a smaller delegation would facilitate a more focused and productive dialogue, fostering a greater spirit of compromise.
Before the Christmas break, the delegations were presented with a “compromise proposal” by the mediators, which they were tasked with negotiating and ultimately signing as part of the Tumaini peace consensus.
The CEPO Director noted that for South Sudan to transition peacefully, all parties involved in the ongoing talks must embrace the spirit of compromise. This will pave the way for a successful transition from the current state of affairs towards free and fair elections.
He highlighted that conducting credible elections requires a conducive environment. This necessitates early political decisions from the leadership of the government and non-signatories to the 2018 peace agreement to create the necessary conditions for a successful electoral process.
“We are aware that the mediators have presented the parties with a ‘compromise proposal.’ We hope that they will engage constructively and embrace this proposal, as it forms a crucial component of the Tumaini peace framework, guiding the country towards political stability,” he concluded.