Mabior Garang slams ‘dark forces’ sabotaging Kenya-Led peace initiative

JUBA – South Sudanese politician Mabior Garang De Mabior has denounced critics of the ongoing Tumaini Initiative as self-serving individuals more interested in personal gain than the welfare of the South Sudanese people.

Kenya is currently hosting peace talks between the South Sudanese government and non-signatory opposition groups to the revitalized peace agreement, mediated by Kenyan President William Ruto at the request of President Salva Kiir Mayardit.

In a statement posted on Facebook, Mabior, son of late liberation hero John Garang who also leads the politico-agricultural organization ‘National Conversation South Sudan,’ accused the unnamed critics of sabotaging the peace process and prolonging the suffering of the people.

He dismissed their claims that the Tumaini initiative is a threat to national sovereignty as “malicious misinformation.”

“The propaganda machine of the dark forces would like to portray the Tumaini Consensus, currently being negotiated in Nairobi, Kenya, under the leadership of H.E. President Dr. William Ruto, as a threat to our citizens and national sovereignty. This is nothing but malicious misinformation from the hired voices of traditional elites in our land,” he wrote yesterday.

Mabior, who once served as deputy minister of interior and spokesman of the main armed opposition SPLM-IO, emphasized that the initiative is not about individual leaders or political parties, but rather about addressing the economic and security challenges facing the country.

He argued that the critics are opposed to the Tumaini Initiative because it threatens their vested interests and the status quo.

“Tumaini, contrary to the claims of those benefiting from the barbaric status quo in our country, is not about Comrades Pagan Amum, Gen. Paul Malong Awan, Gen. Buay Rolnyang, or any other opposition leaders. Nor is it about the parties in the South Sudan Opposition Movements Alliance (SSOMA) or government positions. It is about addressing the urgent economic and security crises facing our country,” Mabior said.

“It is about saving South Sudan from descending further into the abyss. It is about rescuing our nation from imminent disintegration. Those who oppose the Tumaini Consensus have had four years—and four extensions—to deliver on the peace agreement, yet there are no tangible results. They have only deepened our nation’s economic crises and divided our people along ethnic lines, escalating inter- and intra-communal violence. The only beneficiaries of the current barbaric status quo are a handful of self-serving politicians and their immediate relatives,” he added.

Mabior further urged South Sudanese to unite behind the initiative and reject what he described as divisive tactics of those who seek to undermine the peace process, which he said is the only way to prevent the collapse of the world’s youngest country.

“Tumaini offers a peaceful way to end the suffering of our people and dismantle the politico-war economy that has taken root in our country. If forced to make an honest living, these opportunistic leaders would fade away,” he said.

“Let us unite behind the Tumaini initiative as the most viable, least costly way to end our people’s suffering. This is the final opportunity for South Sudan’s political elites to prevent the total collapse and fragmentation of our country. The alternative is simply untenable,” he concluded.