Hon. Puot Kang, Deputy Head of the South Sudan Government Delegation to the Kenya-led peace talks, speaking to the media in Nairobi on Friday afternoon, December 14, 2024. - Credit: Lou Nelson/Eye Radio

The deputy head of the government delegation to the Kenya-led South Sudan peace process announced that they are taking a brief break for consultations with leadership in Juba before resuming discussions, clarifying that the Tumaini initiative has not collapsed.

Speaking to the media in Nairobi on Friday afternoon, Puot Kang – who is also the national minister of petroleum – said the government team will wait for the mediation team to call it back, after further consultation with the leadership in Juba.

The deputy head of the government delegation emphasized the government’s commitment to the peace process.

He stated that the delegation would await instructions from the mediation team before returning to the negotiations.

Kang also reiterated that the unity government had made observations on the initialed protocols and called for the opposition to consider these points.

He stressed that the government’s position must be addressed to move forward with the peace talks.

The deputy head of the government delegation reassured that the peace process is not at an impasse but rather taking a break for necessary consultations before continuing the path toward peace.

He stated that the delegation would await instructions from the mediation team before returning to the negotiations.

“We are going back to Juba to consult with our leadership,” Kang explained. “The mediation team will call us back once further consultations have been made with our leadership in Juba. Our commitment to the successful conclusion of the Tumaini initiative remains steadfast.”

Kang also reiterated that the unity government had made observations on the initialed protocols and called for the opposition to consider these points.

He stressed that the government’s position must be addressed in order to move forward with the peace talks.

“The observations made by the government must be heard,” Kang asserted. “We want the opposition to listen and respond constructively to the concerns raised by the government.”

Kang emphasized that any agreements reached in Tumaini should be in line with the Revitalised Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan (R-ARCSS), the peace framework that led to the formation of the government.

“R-ARCSS is the foundation of R-ARCSS, and the RTGoNU government was formed based on that agreement,” he stated.

He also pointed out that the opposition’s draft protocols were reviewed to ensure compliance with R-ARCSS, preventing the creation of conflicting agreements in the country.

The government delegation, Kang explained, is committed to the peace process but remains firm on ensuring that any new deals align with the established peace framework.

“We must ensure that the structure of the government is agreed upon first before discussing responsibility sharing,” Kang said, addressing one of the key points of contention with the opposition.

The government has also expressed readiness to share its position paper with the Hold-Out Group, but the mediation team has advised against formal document exchanges, urging instead for all discussions to take place within the negotiation room.

Despite disagreements over the approach, the government delegation agreed to move forward with the mediation’s proposed agenda, which includes addressing key issues such as the relationship between R-ARCSS and Tumaini, the structure of the government, and responsibility sharing.

“We accepted the mediation’s agenda to keep the talks moving forward,” Kang explained.

However, he noted that the opposition’s insistence on focusing only on responsibility sharing and the conclusion of the talks has hindered broader discussions on governance structure and the alignment of the agreements.

After presenting their position, the government delegation was served with a draft framework for Tumaini as a complement to R-ARCSS, which they will take back to Juba for consultation with South Sudanese leadership.