South Sudan opposition refuses to renegotiate 9 protocols, says Pagan – Sudans Put up
NAIROBI – The chief of the South Sudan Opposition Movements Alliance (SSOMA) within the Kenya-led peace initiative, Pagan Amum, has rejected the potential for renegotiating the 9 protocols signed in Nairobi, Kenya, in May 2024.
The protocols agreed upon throughout the first spherical of talks, stay a contentious concern as the federal government and opposition events have but to resolve sticking factors delaying the signing of the Tumaini Consensus.
Addressing stakeholders on the reopening of talks in Nairobi on Wednesday, Amum, who additionally leads the Real Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (R-SPLM), emphasised the necessity to finalize the discussions.
“This resumption is to finalize and conclude Tumaini consensus. This is not a time to reopen or renegotiate what has already been agreed upon,” mentioned Amum.
He added that this spherical of talks ought to mark the final try to avoid wasting South Sudan from what he described as “total disintegration” and a possible “collapse into chaos and disorder.”
“I would like to appeal to all delegates to recommit ourselves to genuine search for peace and approach this resumption with open hearts and sincerity,” he mentioned.
Kuol Manyang Juuk, the federal government’s chief negotiator on the Tumaini Initiative, acknowledged missteps by political leaders because the nation’s independence, attributing them to a scarcity of expertise in governance.
“Since achieving independence, South Sudan has been struggling to set pace for state building. We acknowledge that mistakes were made, particularly due to our inexperience in governance,” mentioned Manyang, who additionally serves because the Presidential Advisor on Special Programs.
He harassed the significance of studying from previous errors to rebuild the nation’s future.
“However, we must not let these setbacks define us. Instead, they should serve as lessons motivating us to rectify our errors and build a brighter future for our children,” he mentioned.
The talks are a part of the Tumaini Initiative, launched on May 9, 2024, to resolve conflicts between the transitional unity authorities and holdout opposition events.
In December 2023, President Salva Kiir requested Kenyan President William Ruto to take over the mediation position from the Community of Sant’Egidio, an Italian peace group that had beforehand facilitated the talks in Rome. President Kiir had expressed dissatisfaction with the stalled progress in Rome, citing the failure to realize a long-lasting decision.
The Kenya-led peace efforts confronted a setback in July 2024 when sure South Sudanese authorities representatives raised objections to particular mechanisms proposed within the negotiations.
The Tumaini Initiative has introduced collectively main holdout teams, together with the Real Sudan People’s Liberation Movement led by Pagan Amum, the South Sudan United Front led by former SSPDF Chief of Staff Paul Malong Awan, and the South Sudan People’s Movement/Army (SSPM/A) beneath Gen. Stephen Buoy Rolnyang.
