President Kiir calls for swift conclusion of Nairobi peace talks

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By Matik Kueth

South Sudan’s President, Salva Kiir, appealed for a swift conclusion of the Tumaini Peace negotiations in Nairobi with the holdout groups to achieve stability in the country.

Kiir, who met with the political leaders on Friday, underlined the need for a comprehensive solution to the ongoing political impasse between the parties signatories to the revitalized peace agreement.

After the meeting, Tut Gatluak, the Presidential Advisor on Security Affairs, underscored the importance of presenting a unified front in tackling the nation’s challenges.

He noted that to clear the path for urgently needed changes; the meeting decided that negotiators should go into the negotiations with an open mind and a strong commitment to achieving lasting peace for the people.

On his part, Martin Elia Lomuro, Minister of Cabinet Affairs, reaffirmed the government’s resolve to end the political dispute by making sure that all parties are involved in the talks and that all opinions are heard

However, the meeting also highlighted the significance of economic reforms and political stability for the country’s recovery, especially as South Sudan gets ready for its first democratic elections since gaining independence.

President Kiir has so far appointed a 15-member negotiating team, led by Senior Presidential Advisor Kuol Manyang Juuk, tasked with engaging holdout groups to reach an agreement on the political instability.

Kiir’s call for political stability

The head of the state’s call for immediate action coincides with South Sudanese aspirations for lasting peace and a peaceful solution for the country’s future.

On November 13^th, 2024, President Kiir held a meeting with a section of leaders from the South Sudan Opposition Alliance [SSOA] to discuss matters of national importance, including the ongoing Tumaini Peace Initiative in Kenya’s Nairobi.

According to a statement from the PPU, Josephine Joseph Lagu, Chairperson of the Coalition, during the meeting with President Kiir, emphasized that the SSOA welcomed the Tumaini initiative and committed to engaging in discussions on major political issues, including the elections, and strengthening ties between the SSOA coalition and the ruling SPLM party as the country prepares for the December 2026 polls.

SSOA, a grouping of eight political parties that are signatories to the 2018 Revitalized Peace Agreement, has had a closer aligning with the government than with other opposition factions.

The meeting included SSOA Secretary-General Lam Akol Ajawin, who leads the National Democratic Movement (NDM) – one of the eight factions making up the alliance – covering several national issues, including the Nairobi-led peace talks, Tumaini Initiative.

However, on Wednesday of this week, President Kiir M also met with the Panel of the Wise [PoW] of the African Union to talk about the nation’s readiness for the planned elections in December 2026.

The Panel led by the former Burundian President Domitien Ndayizeye said the delegation’s visit is part of an ongoing mission to engage with political parties, civil society groups, and other stakeholders to ensure a smooth and peaceful electoral process.

President Kiir assured the panel of his administration’s commitment to creating a conducive environment for the upcoming elections as prerequisites for any free, fair, and credible elections.

In August this year, President William Ruto met with the members of the Panel of the wise, where they discussed an array of issues relating to the peace process in South Sudan.

The meeting, which included PoW’s former Kenyan High Court Judge Effie Owuor and former Burundian President Domitien Ndayizeye (both of whom were hosted by President Kiir yesterday), came just weeks after South Sudan First Vice President Riek Machar pulled out of the Tumaini Initiative, accusing the initiative of overstepping its mandate and undermining the revitalized peace agreement, an issue that brought the mediators back to the drawing board.

And as the leaders met President Kiir on 12^th November 2024, President William Ruto was receiving ‘a special message from President Salva Kiir’ in state house Nairobi, delivered to him by Special Envoy and Minister for Presidential Affairs Chol Ajongo.

On November 6^th, 2024, in a meeting between President William Ruto and his host, President Kiir, the South Sudan head of State noted, “The constructive dialogue has demonstrated the commitment of all parties toward peace and unity. We are on the brink of significant breakthroughs.”

Presidents Kiir and Ruto further instructed the mediation teams to settle any outstanding concerns within two weeks in order to advance the peace process. In addition, the leaders decided to get regional support for the Tumaini Initiative and urged IGAD to mobilize resources and assistance from the international community, especially the TROIKA nations, for its implementation.

The holdout groups expect that the Tumaini Peace Initiative will address important agenda items such as a new interim government, reforms in the justice sector and the creation of a South Sudanese hybrid court, security arrangements, the reconstitution of the Strategic Defense and Security Review Board, the creation of a new unified army, the restructuring and reconstitution of the National Constitutional Review Commission (NCRC), the facilitation of mini consultative conferences by the NCRC, implementation modalities, the expansion of government structure by including members of the holdout groups, and a new permanent constitution.