Cabinet Minister Dr. Martin Elia Lomuro speaks to the media in Juba. (Photo: Office of the President/Facebook).

The Rapporteur of government delegation to the Tumaini Initiative Dr. Martin Elia Lomuro said his team will respond to the initialed protocols upon resumption of the talks on Wednesday, but added that they are not intending to revisit the concord.

In July, parties to the Kenya-led peace process reached an agreement on eight protocols related to the security sector and other areas, signaling key breakthrough in the months-long negotiations.

The initialed document outlines the Statement of Purpose for Tumaini, Preamble, Security Agreement and Ceasefire, addressing communal violence and proliferation of arms among civilians, and resolutions for land disputes.

Additional protocols include Trust and Confidence-Building measures, Humanitarian Access, and the role of Guarantors to the peace agreement.

But the process already hit a stalemate since mid-June after SPLM-IO withdrew, alleging that the protocols and proposed institutions that are allegedly parallel or replacing some of those under the 2018 peace accord.

The main peace partner also said the Nairobi peace process undermined the sovereignty of South Sudan by establishing five institutions with the head and deputies to be appointed by the regional body, IGAD.

The second phase of Tumaini Initiative will now resume, following confidence building meetings between the parties and mediators, after President Kiir and Kenya’s Ruto agreed to revive the consensus last month.

In a press briefing on Tuesday, Cabinet Minister Dr. Lomuro said the government team headed by Gen. Kuol Manyang will not revisit the protocols but will respond to them, without explaining how.

According to him, the government delegation is in Nairobi in good faith to reach a deal with the South Sudan Opposition Movement Alliance and other stakeholders.

“This meeting with opposition now gives us the opportunity to have the launch of the initiative officially, and then we will proceed to a more serious session where the government will now be responding to the protocols that where discussed and agreed upon by the opposition.”

However, Lual Dau, the South Sudan Opposition Movement Alliance spokesperson said the resumption of the talks will continue from where it stopped. Mr. Dau reiterated their commitment to the peace process.

“After a very long waiting for the government delegation, we are happy and welcome them to Tumaini headquarter here at glee hotel,” he said.

“But let me make it categorically clear that the opposition, SSOMA and the other opposition groups we are very committed to start the process of the talks where the talks stopped, and basically it is for us to conclude the rescue plan.”