By Matik Kueth
The head of the African Union mission in South Sudan, Joram Biswara, reaffirmed the union’s commitment to assist the South Sudanese government in implementing the peace agreement.
Biswara, who spoke at the Workshop on Federalism for NCRC Members in Juba on Tuesday, stated that the AU expects that the completion of the Tumaini Peace Initiative will complement South Sudanese rights as parties continue to execute the peace deal.
He said such rights may be supplemented if certain issues are handled, which would have an impact on constitutional processes.
“Through my initiative, I believe that through my initiative, we make a conclusion that South Sudanese will conclude that Nairobi would complement their rights. And in case it comes as a complement to rights, there are certain issues that will impact the activities of the constitution. In that light, I would expect that we need to address the question of the discussion in Nairobi. That being the case, the African Union will continue to support the process of implementation of this agreement and its activities,” Biswara said.
Biswara noted that the peace initiative in Nairobi may be completed in two weeks and urged the government to fully participate in the peace negotiations without further delay.
“I understand the government is yet to report there. But going by the spirit of President Salva Kiir, along with his brother, President Ruto, they are supposed to conclude those issues in two weeks’ time. However, I would appeal that the area they participate in the Nairobi peace talks, once that is concluded, it can easily be factored in the NCRC and other related matters in time,” he explained.
He pointed out that the NCRC is expected to complete its work far earlier than envisaged despite the fact that the transition period has been prolonged for two years.
The international community, IGAD, and other peace brokers’ efforts to implement the peace deal have been hampered, with some political parties falling behind given that the R-TGoNU is not moving swiftly to meet the remaining requirements for the peace agreement.
The Tumaini peace initiative, which was launched on May 9, 2024, in Nairobi, Kenya, by incorporating all of the holdout groups that have not signed the 2018 R-ARCSS (Revitalized Agreement on Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan), is expected to be completed soon, though some understanding challenges are attempting to impede the initiative.