South Sudan's English Daily Newspaper
"We Dare where others fear"
By Simon Deng
The Archbishop of the Episcopal Church of South Sudan (ECSS), Justin Badi Arama, has urged parties attending the ongoing “Tumaini talks” to reach comprehensive agreement on their differences so that peace prevails in the country.
“We trust that the Tumaini Initiative will yield peace as a Christmas gift for the resilient people of South Sudan. We encourage the government to pursue good governance to usher in security and viable economy for the great people of South Sudan,” said Arama on Thursday during the General Assembly of the South Sudan Council of Churches in Juba.
Arama said the South Sudan Council of Churches has reaffirmed its commitment to promoting integrity and prophetic ministry while strengthening its role as a strong advocate for justice, unity and reconciliation in South Sudan.
“We therefore resolve to speak for peace, justice and reconciliation, pursue joint efforts with stakeholders to support returnees and internally displaced. We urge all political parties to embrace dialogue and pursue non-violence means,” he said.
On Wednesday, the Tumaini Initiative officially opened in Nairobi under the auspices of the Kenyan President William Ruto who has been urging the transitional unity government and opposition parties to resume talks after they halted in July this year.
President Salva Kiir, prior to his government resuming talks with the opposition, restructured the government delegation.
He tapped his advisor Gen. Kuol Manyang Juuk to lead the government negotiating team.
The Tumaini peace talks commenced on May 9, 2024 in Kenya but came to a halt in July after the two sides disagreed on some sticky issues despite having earlier signed 8 protocols.
