South Sudan opposition accuses government of sabotaging Nairobi peace talks

JUBA – South Sudan opposition groups involved in the Kenya-led Tumaini peace initiative have accused the government in Juba of sabotaging the process by failing to attend the latest round of talks scheduled to begin on Monday.

The Tumaini Initiative, launched by Kenyan President William Ruto in May, aims to bring non-signatory opposition groups to the negotiating table and end the country’s long-running conflict. However, the talks have been plagued by delays and accusations of bad faith.

President Salva Kiir last week appointed a new negotiating team, led by a senior presidential envoy and deputy chairman of the ruling SPLM faction, and pledged to dispatch the delegation to the Kenyan capital. However, the team has yet to appear.

Opposition figures at the talks told Sudans Post following the appointment of the new mediation team, which includes Petroleum Minister Puot Kang and Cabinet Minister Martin Elia Lomuro, that they are not happy with the team members because of alleged roles in sabotaging the Tumaini process.

In a statement on Monday afternoon, the opposition groups, including the South Sudan People’s Movement (SSPM), the South Sudan United Front (SSUF), and Real SPLM, expressed frustration over the government’s absence, stating that the newly appointed negotiating team is “anti-Tumaini.”

“To our dismay, the R-TGONU has changed its delegation after having negotiated and agreed to the Tumaini Consensus. The new delegation is largely composed of Anti-Tumaini elements. With that, it is clear the Government is reneging on the Tumaini Consensus which it had negotiated,” they wrote.

They added that the government’s repeated failure to participate in the talks without any prior warnings demonstrates a lack of commitment to peace and a disregard for the suffering of the South Sudanese people.

“This shows the serious lack of good faith and unwillingness to conclude the Tumaini peace process. This explains why the Government failed to turn up for the signing of the Tumaini Consensus on 16 September 2024 as agreed by the Parties and Stakeholders,” they added.

The opposition groups highlighted the government’s failure to pay civil servants and the military, as well as its inability to address the humanitarian crisis caused by floods, communal violence, and insecurity.

“The case in point is the failure of the R-TGONU to pay the civil servants, the army, and other organized forces for over a year as a result of endemic corruption. Whenever the Government receives money earmarked for paying salaries, it is often diverted and looted by Cartels,” it said.

“More importantly, the Government doesn’t care that the population is impacted by the worst humanitarian disaster, catastrophic floods, persistent communal violence, and rampant insecurity,” the statement added.

Despite the alleged government’s actions, the opposition groups reiterated their commitment to the Kenya-led peace process and urged the transitional government under President Salva Kiir Mayardit to engage in meaningful dialogue.

“The Opposition and Stakeholders remain on the negotiating table and have been patiently waiting for the Government delegation to return and sign the Tumaini Consensus as agreed,” they concluded.