By Matik Kueth
On Thursday, the parties and stakeholders in the ongoing peace talks in Nairobi, Kenya, made significant progress in addressing the root causes of conflict in South Sudan, reflecting a significant step forward in the Tumaini Initiative mediation.
According to Deputy Chief Mediator Mohammed Guyo, the high-level mediation discussions yielded a “spirit of collegiality,” signifying the growing trust and confidence between the government, opposition, and other stakeholders.
“This is the update on high-level mediation for South Sudan to many initiatives. Today, the parties discussed agenda item two on the root causes of conflict in South Sudan. We had a good, constructive, positive deliberation by the parties, the government, the opposition, and the stakeholders. The progress we have made so far is the spirit of collegiality, a partnership that has been seen as attested to by yesterday’s joint press conference,” Guyo stated.
He said the parties will have an opportunity to focus and reflect on the core factors of the conflict for next coming 48 hours with a meeting scheduled for Saturday 1st, February 2025.
“The parties and the stakeholders will have a day tomorrow to focus and reflect on the root causes and meet on Saturday at 10, and this time, the meeting will be co-chaired by the leader of the government delegation and the opposition. This is indeed an excellent progress.” he said.
Guyo reaffirmed the mediation team’s determination to foster long-term peace in South Sudan.
“We at the mediation are committed to sustaining this momentum and elevating the confidence-building efforts to ensure a speedy conclusion to all agenda items before us.” he emphasized.
As the mediation process gains traction, hopes grow that South Sudan may soon be able to get over its conflict-ridden past behind and embark on a path to long-term peace and stability.