BY ABRAHAM AWOLICH
In an interview with Eye Radio on Saturday, December 28, 2024, Peter Lam Both, Secretary General of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM), claimed that SPLM’s late intervention saved the Tumaini Initiative from collapse. This assertion, however, is a glaring distortion of reality. Far from salvaging Tumaini, the SPLM’s actions were instrumental in its collapse. Mr. Both’s statements were riddled with inaccuracies, misrepresentations, and a lack of logical coherence, demanding a clear response to set the record straight and provide the people of South Sudan with the unvarnished truth about their nation’s plight.
Tumaini Misrepresented
Mr. Both’s claim that the Tumaini Initiative aimed to incorporate non-signatories into the R-ARCSS is baseless for two key reasons:
- SSOMA’s Rejection of R-ARCSS: Members of SSOMA were present during negotiations in Khartoum and Addis Ababa but withdrew, rejecting R-ARCSS as fundamentally flawed. Their stance remains unchanged.
- Rome Declaration’s True Intent: Having represented the government in the Rome discussions, I can confirm that the Declaration sought to address the root causes of South Sudan’s conflicts. It made no mention of integrating SSOMA into the R-ARCSS. By the time negotiations transitioned to Nairobi, the agenda was explicitly focused on fresh discussions among R-TGONU, SSOMA, opposition groups, and stakeholders.
The notion that Tumaini is meant to serve as an addendum to the R-ARCSS is nothing more than a fabricated narrative—a smokescreen designed to facilitate the government’s tactical withdrawal from the process while concealing a deliberate agenda of peace sabotage orchestrated by tycoons, cartels, and hypocrites.
Even if one were to entertain the hypothetical scenario of SSOMA joining the R-ARCSS, several formidable and insurmountable challenges would inevitably emerge:
- A Flawed Agreement: The structural defects of R-ARCSS remain unaddressed, leaving no incentive for SSOMA to join.
- Unfulfilled Provisions: Six years later, the government remains entangled in a structure with multiple commanders-in-chief, blatantly violating the agreement. To align with such a process, teetering on the brink of collapse would be an act of undeniable absurdity.
- Expired Timelines: The implementation period for the R-ARCSS has long expired, and repeated extensions have severely undermined its credibility. As a result, the RTGoNU operates outside the bounds of constitutional legitimacy, and its failure to conduct elections should prompt international derecognition.
- Marginalized Partners: Key stakeholders of the R-ARCSS, including SPLM-IO, SSOA, SPLM-FDs, and OPP, have been systematically marginalized, as demonstrated by unilateral actions such as the enactment of the contentious National Security Act of 2024. Recent shortsighted decisions, which have jeopardized both national security and the economy, underscore the steady entrenchment of autocratic rule in the country. Such a stifling political climate renders the R-ARCSS increasingly unappealing for opposition groups and underscores the necessity of the reforms proposed by the Tumaini Initiative.
- Resource Mismanagement: Public finances remain at the sole discretion of one individual, flagrantly violating the principles of financial accountability enshrined in the R-ARCSS. Despite over a year of government failing to meet contractual obligations in South Sudan, the number of cartels amassing wealth continues to grow unchecked. This economic neglect of public employees and citizens demands collective accountability from the partners in the RTGoNU. The Tumaini Initiative’s proposal for a High-Level Implementation Panel aims to tackle this rampant mismanagement of public resources. Opposition to this proposal, therefore, either stems from vested interests within the cartels or sheer hypocrisy.
SPLM’s Role in Tumaini’s Collapse
Mr. Both’s assertion that the SPLM is balancing delicate equations between the R-ARCSS and Tumaini is categorically untrue. The SPLM has become largely irrelevant in South Sudan’s governance, where President Kiir exercises unilateral control. Tumaini was neither conceived nor managed by the SPLM, a fact underscored by the SPLM Deputy Chair, General Kuol Manyang, who openly opposed the initiative, exposing its disconnection from the SPLM leadership.
President Kiir’s decision to involve the SPLM late in the process reflects his well-worn strategy of deflecting blame for his failures onto others. Bringing General Kuol into the fold at a late stage was a calculated move to shift responsibility for Tumaini’s collapse. This tactic has consistently ensnared SPLM leaders, leading to their eventual abandonment and political downfall. Mr. Both should tread carefully to avoid being complicit in this orchestrated sabotage of peace, a ploy designed to perpetuate the chaos and opacity in which cartels and tycoons thrive.
Instead of salvaging Tumaini, as Mr. Both claims, the SPLM ultimately sealed its fate by reneging on agreed-upon protocols. This betrayal irrevocably damaged trust with opposition groups, ensuring the initiative’s inevitable failure.
Propaganda About SPLM-IO and SSOA
The claim that signing Tumaini would force the SPLM-IO, SSOA, and OPP to return to the bush is nothing but unfounded propaganda. Tumaini was designed as an independent agreement, distinct from the R-ARCSS. The suggestion that it interferes with the R-ARCSS is a deliberate falsehood aimed at fostering fear and confusion. The real threat of renewed conflict lies in President Kiir’s and the cartels’ refusal to implement both the R-ARCSS and the constitution. The failure of the RTGoNU to uphold the R-ARCSS is well-documented by both RJMEC and the government itself. According to the High-level Implementation Committee’s report, only 10% of the so-called Roadmap has been implemented.
The Secretary-General should focus on addressing this deep-seated internal failure, rather than misplacing blame on the Tumaini Initiative. Since the 2013 political crisis, which was orchestrated within the SPLM Political Bureau, there has not been a single SPLM meeting dedicated to crafting a vision or strategy for restoring peace in the country. As it stands, the SPLM lacks any coherent peace strategy and is not driving the peace processes. If, as the SG claims, the SPLM is truly in control, it should initiate an investigation into President Kiir and his cartels for sabotaging peace, undermining national security, destroying the economy, and overseeing the massive theft of public resources.
Restoring Leadership and Accountability
Mr. Both’s concerns about the National Leadership Council overshadowing the presidency are baseless. In light of President Kiir’s ongoing failure to provide effective leadership, the need for shared leadership has become critical to achieving meaningful peace and democracy. The National Leadership Council was conceived specifically to facilitate the implementation of Tumaini and address the current leadership vacuum. Similarly, the proposed High-Level Implementation Panel is crucial for ensuring the enforcement of agreements, mobilizing regional and international support, and holding violators accountable. These mechanisms are not a threat to leadership, but a necessary step toward restoring governance and trust in South Sudan.
The Tumaini Initiative, contrary to the Secretary General’s concerns about potential infringements on sovereignty, is fundamentally aimed at restoring the people’s sovereignty and ensuring political accountability. While there are valid concerns regarding the ongoing violations of South Sudan’s sovereignty, Tumaini is not one of them. The real threat to sovereignty lies in the state-sanctioned plundering of our national resources and the territorial encroachments by neighboring countries into South Sudan’s borders. A sovereign state cannot truly exist with a dysfunctional government, failed leadership, and a crumbling economy; if such a state does persist, it is nothing more than an illusion. This is the unfortunate reality in South Sudan. Sovereignty, after all, belongs to the people of South Sudan, who have been sidelined from meaningful decision-making since 2011. The recent decision to bypass democratic elections represents a direct violation of sovereignty and an unconstitutional consolidation of power. The claim that Tumaini threatens sovereignty is a groundless fabrication and must be firmly rejected. The SG seems to have entirely misunderstood the true source of the threat to sovereignty. It does not lie with Tumaini but with the SPLM’s choice to hand over our government to autocracy and kleptocracy.
The writer is a member of the People’s Coalition for Civil Action (PCCA), a non-violent pro-democracy civil rights movement in South Sudan. He is also a doctoral student at the University of Vermont, where he serves as both a Gund Fellow and a Leadership for the Ecozoic Fellow. He can be contacted at aawolich@uvm.edu.
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