South Sudan’s government delegation is set to arrive in Nairobi on Saturday to resume peace talks aimed at achieving lasting peace and stability in the world’s youngest nation.
The talks, dubbed Tumaini—which means “hope” in Swahili—have been ongoing since last year but were postponed to allow for additional consultations among the involved parties. The negotiations are between South Sudan’s transitional government and holdout opposition groups.
Kuol Manyang Juuk, the government’s chief negotiator for the Tumaini peace talks, expressed both sides’ commitment to reaching a durable peace agreement. “We hope that we will reach an agreement,” Juuk said in a briefing in Juba, South Sudan’s capital. He emphasized the importance of including the holdout opposition groups in the process.
The South Sudan United Front (SSUF), led by Paul Malong Awan, is one of the holdout groups involved in the talks. SSUF spokesperson Garang Malual Deng confirmed the opposition’s readiness to resume discussions with the goal of securing long-term peace, stability, and development for the country.
The Kenya-led Tumaini Initiative peace talks, which began on May 9, 2024, faced a setback in July when disagreements arose over certain mechanisms proposed in the negotiations.
The decision to resume talks follows a meeting between Kenyan President William Ruto and South Sudanese President Salva Kiir in Juba on Nov. 6, 2024. The two leaders directed the mediation team to address unresolved issues within two weeks in hopes of finalizing the agreement.
The talks were adjourned in December 2024 to allow for further consultations before they are resumed this weekend.