Government and opposition groups agree on five protocols

JUBA – South Sudan’s transitional government and non-signatory opposition groups to the 2018 revitalized peace agreement have agreement on five protocols in Kenya-led peace initiatives in Nairobi.

The protocols include security, justice, economic, ceasefire and humanitarian.

Speaking to reporters during a press conference held in the capital Juba on Friday, Albino Mathom Ayuel, head of the government negotiation team, said the negotiators have agreed on trust and confidence building measures.

“What we have agreed in Nairobi with opposition is trust and confidence building measures and that is a protocol by itself, economic recovery and management which mean, we will have the accountability in the economy, judiciary reform, transitional justice and accountability, fourth, permanent ceasefire, security arrangement and reform and five is humanitarian assistance and the rest are pending and we are still negotiating and we are almost to reach agreement with opposition,” Mathom said.

Government spokesman and information minister Michael Makuei Lueth said the parties have also agreed to improve on the implementation mechanism so that they can implement this agreement in letter and spirit.

“We are only negotiating in order to strengthen the implementation of the mechanism, we have found two things in the implementation of the current agreement, one is weak institution for the implementation and two is lack of funding,” Makuei said.

“These are the two issues we have managed to identify, being the government and opposition or negotiators. We have identified these as main or as the root causes of non-implementation of the agreement and so we have to address these two issues.

“We say weak institutions because there are some provisions in the agreement that don’t know money, but they have not been implemented, yes, there are some provisions that need money, but these provisions have not been implemented are partially implemented.”

The Tumaini Initiative, having begun on May 9, 2024, is mediated by former Kenyan army commander Lazarus Sumbeiywo. Tumaini is the Swahili word for “hope.”

The opposition groups taking part in the initiative include the South Sudan United Front (SSUF) led by Gen. Paul Malong Awan, Red SPLM under Pagan Amum, the former Secretary General of Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) and South Sudan People’s Movement (SSPM) led by Stephen  Buay Rolnyang, among other smaller parties.