National, News

Tumaini consultative discussions kick off

By William Madouk

 

Tumaini Initiative resumed on Monday in Nairobi with a series of consultative discussions ahead of the official negotiations.

The government delegation, led by Senior Presidential Advisor Kuol Mayang Juuk, arrived at the venue and held consultations with the mediation team before the negotiations commenced.

Last year, the government team requested to return to Juba for consultations following a deadlock over initialed protocols.

This request came after the government pushed for renegotiation, a move that the opposition firmly opposed, leading to a contentious dispute.

“The Tumaini Peace Talks have resumed as the government, holdout groups, and the Tumaini mediator begin consultative discussions,” according to from SSBC.

The statement added, “these discussions were scheduled ahead of official negotiations that had been adjourned to allow the government delegation to consult with the presidency in Juba.”

The purpose of the consultative discussions is to clarify the relationship between the Tumaini Initiative and the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCSS).

Key topics include areas of overlap, mechanisms, contradictions between the two frameworks, responsibility sharing, and concluding the Tumaini Initiative.

On Saturday, Mr. Juuk, who is also the newly appointed chairperson of the National Transitional Committee (NTC), emphasized the challenges in achieving peace.

“I am telling our people that we are serious; we want to discuss and see if the holdouts are serious too, then we will make peace. Our country needs peace, and everyone deserves peace,” he stated.

He continued, “we have been serious from the beginning, and we are going forward with the same spirit. We’re not going to surrender; instead, we are going to convince our people that there are no reasons for them to remain outside the peace process.”

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

Mr. Yakani called on government and opposition leaders to adopt more constructive attitudes and make essential compromises aimed at restoring peace and stability.

He praised the Tumaini parties for returning to the negotiating table, stressing that both sides must work quickly to reach a peace deal that fosters political stability.

“CEPO strongly welcomes the return of the government delegation to the Tumaini Peace Talks this week,” he remarked.

“It is encouraging if the parties at the mediation table can make key compromises based on Kenya’s mediation proposal to bridge differences and reach a final deal that ensures political stability,” he added.

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