South Sudan holdout opposition, the United People’s Alliance (UPA), has insisted that the Tumaini Initiative will remain a stand-alone agreement amidst the government’s newfound stance.
UPA Spokesperson Lual Dau expressed the sentiments to Radio Tamazuj as the talks entered Day 4 on Wednesday.
The talks, aimed at addressing South Sudan’s crisis, are underway in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, between the government and the holdout opposition groups, formerly known as South Sudan Opposition Movement Alliance (SSOMA).
Affectionately referred to as Tumaini (Hope) Initiative, the talks are led by the Government of Kenya and resumed on Monday after a deadlock in December.
“The UPA met the Chief Mediator, Gen Lazaro Sumbeiywo. The Chief Mediator urged the UPA leadership to reach an agreement with the government of South Sudan as soon as possible for the interest of the suffering citizens,” Dau stated.
“On Tuesday, the government delegation presented a very long document in which they clearly rejected the eight initialed protocols and made it clear that any agreement with UPA must be in conformity and an annex to the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan (R-ARCSS). This is a non-starter,” he added.
The UPA official declared that R-ARCSS was dead and that the government’s newfound stance on Tumaini was a non-starter.
“Let me be clear to the public that the Tumaini consensus cannot be an annex to the failed R-ARCSS. From today, let it be known especially to the government delegation that the Tumaini consensus will be a stand-alone agreement with its own implementation mechanisms as agreed in the initialed protocols,” he stated.
“There is only one protocol on the responsibility sharing that should be the main subject of discussion during this session,” Dau declared.
The UPA Spokesperson, however, reiterated that they are committed to peace in South Sudan.
“As UPA, we believe Tumaini consensus is the only means to rescue the country from a total collapse.”