Opposition groups at Tumaini Initiative dismayed by govt delegation’s anti-peace stance

SSOMA and Opposition Groups leaders at the Tumaini Initiative peace talks in Nairobi. (File photo)

The South Sudan Opposition Movements Alliance (SSOMA) and Other Opposition Groups participating at the Tumaini Initiative peace talks mediated by the Government of Kenya between them and the Government of South Sudan in Nairobi on Friday highlighted that they are disheartened by the government delegation’s anti-peace rhetoric after the resumption of the talks.

A press release on Friday signed by Lual Dau, the SSOMA Secretary-General and spokesperson of the opposition groups, said their leadership welcomes the resumption of the Tumaini Peace Initiative and commends the mediation and stakeholders for their patience and sustained commitment to the peace process after waiting for months for the return of the government.

“We seize this opportunity to inform the people of South Sudan, the region, and international partners that we are utterly dismayed by the new position of the Reconstituted Transitional Government of National Unity (R-TGONU) delegation as expressed in their statements over the past two days. In its speech during the launch of the resumption, the government delegation reiterated the position of the anti-Tumaini elements in the R-TGONU who are hell-bent on dismantling the Tumaini Consensus,” the statement reads in part. “This position rules out any possibility of approaching these negotiations with open minds to conclude these talks with a viable, realistic, and implementable framework for peace to exit the troubled unending extensions of the unimplementable R-ARCSS.”

“By presenting the position of its anti-Tumaini groups, the reconstituted R-TGONU delegation has openly reneged on the Tumaini Consensus, negotiated and agreed by the former delegation of the same government, the opposition, and stakeholders and witnessed by representatives of the Government of Kenya, IGAD and the Community of Sant’Egidio,” the statement added.

According to the opposition groups, the government delegation’s action also completely dismisses the Joint Communiqué of the two Presidents of Kenya and South Sudan issued in Juba on 6 November 2024 that recognized the completed protocols and called for finalizing the Tumaini Peace Initiative within two weeks.

“We are deeply shocked by comments made by the Minister of Cabinet Affairs, Hon. Martin Elia Lomuro, a new government delegate to the Tumaini talks and a ringleader of the anti-Tumaini group. Mr. Lomuro denied knowledge of President Salva Kiir’s request to President William Ruto to mediate this peace process until June this year, even though he attended the launch of the Tumaini at State House Nairobi on 9 May 2024,” the statement said. “There is no doubt that the government was fully aware that President Salva Kiir had requested President William Ruto in a letter since December last year, to mediate these talks. We, therefore, believe that these unfortunate utterances made by a senior government minister and leader were deliberately intended to undermine President Salva Kiir’s initiative and to destroy his standing among his counterparts in the region.”

“Considering the failure of implementation of the R-ARCSS, the suffering and harsh impoverishment imposed on our people, worse than what they had endured during the decades of our struggles for independence, the Tumaini Consensus cannot and shall not be an insignificant annex to this failed and expired agreement,” the statement reads.

The opposition outfits said they remain committed to finalizing the Protocols of the agreed Tumaini Consensus within two weeks as stipulated in the Joint Communiqué of the two presidents issued in Juba on 6 November 2024, and to delivering the outcome of this process as a Christmas gift of peace for the people of South Sudan.

“The purpose of the Tumaini Consensus is to usher in an era of peace, harmony, and prosperity for the people of South Sudan. We appeal to the people of South Sudan, the able Mediation, the region, and the international community to not allow the reconstituted R-TGONU delegation to destroy the tremendous progress and achievements made by the Tumaini Peace Initiative,” the statement concluded. “We reiterate our firm commitment to finalize the Tumaini Consensus to rescue our country from descending into total chaos and disintegration.”