National, News

Calls for genuine peace negotiation

By William Madouk

 

Government delegation, headed by chief negotiator Kuol Manyang Juuk, arrived in Nairobi as peace talks are expected to resume today, amid increasing calls for the parties involved to reach a sincere peace agreement.

In a statement to state-owned radio/TV SSBC on Saturday, Mr. Juuk said, “we are traveling to Kenya today, (18th of January 2025) and the talks will begin on Monday.”

“I want to assure our people that we are serious about this process. We want to discuss and see if the holdout groups are serious; if they are, then we can achieve peace. Our country needs peace, and everyone deserves peace,” he emphasized.

Mr. Juuk, who is also the newly appointed chairperson of the National Transitional Committee, noted that finalizing a peace deal is not a quick process.

“We have approached this seriously before, and we are going with the same spirit now. We are not going to surrender, but rather, we will persuade our people that there are no reasons for them to remain outside the process,” he explained.

The chief government mediator urged holdout groups to return to the negotiation table, organize, and prepare for the upcoming elections.

“If they choose to oppose the government, they can register their political party, organize themselves, and prepare for the 2026 elections. I hope we can convince them to come back,” he stated.

Meanwhile, the Executive Director of the Community for Progress Organization, Mr. Edmund Yakani, urged the Tumaini parties to expedite the process and finalize a peace deal as the next round of talks begins.

He stressed that both government and opposition leaders must adopt more constructive attitudes and make necessary compromises to restore peace and stability.

Mr. Yakani praised the Tumaini parties for returning to the discussion table, noting that both sides must reach an agreement swiftly to ensure political stability.

“CEPO strongly welcomes the return of the government delegation to the Tumaini Peace Talks this week,” he said, adding, “It is hopeful that the parties at the mediation table can make key compromises based on the framework proposed by the Kenyan mediation to reach a final deal for securing political stability.”

He stated that the success of the Tumaini talks hinges on the political leadership displayed by both the government and opposition parties in the lead-up to the Kenyan-led mediation.

“This round of mediation is a true test of the commitment of South Sudanese political elites to their citizens, as well as the regional and international community, regarding peace and stability,” Mr. Yakani highlighted.

“CEPO is urging with high respect and honour for the president and the leadership of the opposition groups to take serious responsibility for making this round of Tumaini Peace Talks succeed without any dragging of feet or failure,” he continued.

 

 

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