Parties told to resume Kenya led peace talks in ‘good faith’

By Awan Achiek

Kenyan mediators have asked the transitional unity government and opposition parties to negotiate in good faith when the Tumaini peace talks resume in Nairobi, on 18th November 2024.

“We expect the parties and the stakeholders to come in good faith, to provide solidarity for the process,” said Dr. Mohammed Ali Guyo, Deputy Chief Mediator at the Tumaini peace talks during an interview with UN radio Miraya on Friday in Juba.

Guyo said the parties are expected to discuss protocols in draft form, adding that the Tumaini consensus will include implementation framework.

“As you are aware, we started this process sometime in April. Even before April, we did a lot of consultation in Juba and elsewhere, and from April up to September, we were able to successfully conclude nine protocols together with an implementation framework,” he said.

Guyo said they have already dealt with nine protocols which were captured in the Juba communiqué, issued recently following the meeting between President William Samoei Ruto and President Salva Kiir.

“And the protocols are with us, and they are also with the government and the stakeholders. So the government delegation in September went to Juba for consultations, and we expect that the government will be back now following their engagements, internal engagement in Juba,” he said.

Guyo noted that will happen from Monday within the two weeks will be to tie the loose ends following the consultations by the government and internal consultation by the opposition.

“The stakeholders are enriching the process, and therefore we expect the loose ends to be tied together into a two-minute consensus.”

The talks are part of the Tumaini Initiative, launched on May 9, 2024 to end conflict between the transitional unity government and hold-out opposition parties.

The government and opposition parties signed nine protocols during the first round of talks in May, and the two sides are yet to agree on the sticking issues that are delaying the signing of a comprehensive peace agreement.

In December 2023, President Salva Kiir, requested President Ruto to take over the mediation role from the Community of Sant’Egidio, an Italian peace organization that had been facilitating the talks in Rome.

President Kiir expressed frustration with the stalled progress in Rome, stating that the discussions with opposition groups had failed to yield a lasting solution.

However, the Kenya-led peace talks encountered a setback in July, when some South Sudanese government representatives raised concerns over specific mechanisms proposed in the negotiations.