In the photo, President Salva Kiir is in the centre, Pagan Amum is on the left, and General Paul Malong in the right. |Credit: GT|
Warring parties to the South Sudan conflict initialed a protocol in Nairobi, Kenya to release the prisoners of war, dismiss all the cases and charges on persons accused as a result of politically motivated factors as part of trust and confidence building measure in an attempt to end the 12-year senseless civil war.
Golden Times could not independently verify the number of POWs and political detainees that are there on both sides of the conflict, who would likely be released based on this initial protocol.
The factions of SSOMA that have active armed groups include, the South Sudan United Front led by General Paul Malong, the South Sudan People’s Movement/Army under Stephen Buoy Rolnyang, National Salvation Front-Revolutionary Command Council led by Gen. Mario Laku Thomas Jada, among others.
In 2013, (two years after gaining independence from Sudan), a power struggle erupted within the ruling Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) resulting in the death of over 400,000 people, the destruction of property, and the displacement of millions of South Sudanese to the neighboring countries mainly Uganda, Kenya and Sudan.
In 2015, a temporary ceasefire and cessation of hostilities agreement was signed mainly between the factions loyal to President Salva Kiir and those loyal to former Vice President Riek Machar and resulted in the signing of the peace agreement.
A year later, another round of civil war erupted within the state-house between forces of Salva Kiir and Riek Machar before it engulfed the whole country. Machar narrowly survived the fierce dogfight.
In 2018, another peace agreement was signed termed “the revitalized agreement on the resolution of conflict in South Sudan” and the subsequent formation of a transitional government purportedly to lay the democratic foundation in the country.
Other armed groups abstained from signing the revitalized agreement citing its limitation to address the root causes of the 2013 conflict; this gave birth to the South Sudan Opposition Movement Alliance (SSOMA) or holdout groups.
A year later, Pope Francis made a big announcement initiating the Sant Egidio peace mediation process between the government and SSOMA in anticipation of reconciling the feuding faction in South Sudan’s political and military conflict, though the initiative never succeeded after years of meeting in Rome.
Although a relative ceasefire was observed in most parts of South Sudan for six years, President Kiir in January 2024 desired to invite the holdout groups to join the peace caravan and unilaterally, selected Kenya as his preferred venue for dialogue instead of Rome as the preferred by some armed groups.
In May 2024, a new peace path was proclaimed dubbed as Tumaini (Hope) Initiative with Lazaro Sumbeiywo as the chief mediator. This fresh initiative brought together some members of the SSOMA, unity government, and civil society organizations among others to restore peace and hope in South Sudan.
Sumbeiywo was the architect of the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) that ended Africa’s longest civil war between Sudan’s government and southern rebel groups under the late Dr. John Garang de Mabior, founder of SPLA/M.
The Shaky Tumaini Peace Initiative faced a backslash last week when the transitional national legislative assembly endorsed the amendment of the National Security Act 2014, rearming the security agency to arrest people without a warrant of arrests.
The move generated a wider condemnation and calls on President Kiir to refuse to sign the amended bill. SSOMA leaders issued statements threatening to boycott the peace talks should President Kiir sign into law the National Security Act 2014 amendment bill 2024.
Despite the boiling political discourse over the security bill, the unity government, holdout groups, and stakeholders on Monday, (July 15, 2024), agreed to expedite the repeal of Sections 54, 55, and 57 of the National Security Act 2014 so as to conform with the provisions of the Constitution, R-ARCSS, and the Tumaini Consensus before the commencement of the implementation of the Tumaini Consensus.
The parties and stakeholders in a 23-page document called for an end to arbitrary arrests and unlawful detentions; directing the government to take immediate and appropriate measures to fully guarantee the freedom of movement of political leaders, in and outside South Sudan, and fully guarantee, without exception, the freedom of association and assembly of all persons in South Sudan.
They promised to hold national prayers for peace to be spearheaded by the religious leaders after the signing of the Tumaini Consensus in Juba, the states, and the Administrative Areas.
They also approved the establishment of a Security Sector Reform / Oversight Commission (SSROC) to conduct reforms by overseeing, directing, and supervising the security sector reform during the Transitional Period.
The protocol proposed that the SSROC shall be headed by a neutral and competent South Sudanese security/ military expert who shall be vetted by the National Leadership Council (NLC).
Information Michael, Michael Makuei, who is also the government’s spokesperson and rapporteur of the Tumaini high-level peace initiative, confirmed initialing the protocol, adding that the parties and stakeholders will continue discussing issues of governance and constitution-making process which will be incorporated into the document.
Golden Times | South Sudan/Germany
