Pagan Amum Okech, leader of The Real SPLM, speaks during an interview with Eye Radio in Nairobi on June 6, 2024. - Photo credit: Eye Radio/Lou Nelson

The leader of the REAL SPLM is urging the unity government under the 2018 peace accord, to reach a consensus on the Tumaini deadlock.

Pagan Amum expressed hope that discussions with the SPLM-IO leader could result in an agreement for the resumption of the peace process in Nairobi.

His remarks follow the SPLM-IO’s recent rejection of the initiative’s protocols and withdrawal from the peace talks.

On Monday, July 22, 2024, the government delegation met with Dr. Riek Machar, leader of the SPLM-IO to address the party’s concerns leading to its withdrawal from the process.

In an exclusive interview with Eye Radio, Pagan Amum hopes that the ongoing government delegation’s engagement with the presidency will arrive at a unified decision that is supportive of the peace initiative in Nairobi.

Amum describes Tumaini’s eight protocols as the only rescue plan for the country to achieve peace and good governance.

“We are encouraged that the R-TGONU delegation is engaging with the leadership, and we are hopeful that the R-TGONU will reach to the decision that they will be reunited,” Pagan said.

“The R-TGONU will come back fully supportive of the Tumaini initiative to conclude the Tumaini consensus as the rescue plan for our country to achieve peace and good governance. We are supporting the R-TGONU delegation in the Tumaini initiative,” he said.

On Tuesday last week, the opposition party said it found that the Tumaini Protocols not only repeated the provisions of the R -ARCSS or laws but also replaced or ran to parallel with those of 2018.

According to the group, the initiative has taken the role of a funder, supervisor, coordinator, convener of a donor conference, funder manager, monitor of the agreement, guarantor and governing authority.

The opposition also said the Tumaini undermined the sovereignty of South Sudan by establishing five institutions with the head and deputies to be appointed by the regional body, IGAD.

These include the Security Supervision Mechanism, Ceasefire Transitional Security Arrangements Monitoring Mechanism, Reconstituted Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission, National Transitional Committee, and Strategic Defense and Security Review Board to be co-chaired by the parties to the 2018 agreement.

Besides, it added that “The proposed National Leadership Council usurped the powers of the Presidency, Council of Ministers, the National Legislature and the National Security Council.”