President Salva Kiir Mayardit shake hands with Kenyan President William Ruto in past event in Kenya - Courtesy

President Salva Kiir has requested Kenyan President William Ruto to mediate peace talks between the government and the non-signatories to the 2018 peace agreement, the Minister of Presidential Affairs has said.

The last talks between the holdout groups and the government were held in late March this year in Sant Egidio, Rome, Italy which ended in a deadlock.

This was after the government and the non-peace signatory parties that formed a group known as the Non-Signatories Opposition Alliance disagreed over the agendas of the meeting.

The government has proposed that the discussions focus on security sector reforms, political and governance, economic and social issues, and justice, while the non-signatory group proposed the conduct of an inclusive round table discussion.

The hold-out groups said the conference would discuss and address the root causes of the conflict in the country to usher in a new political dispensation.

But they disagreed on each other’s position papers.

Speaking to Eye Radio Tuesday, the newly appointed Minister of Presidential Affairs says President Kiir has now asked the Kenyan President to mediate peace between the government and the dissidents.

Bangasi Joseph Bakasoro hopes that President William Ruto will begin the process soon or later.

However, he describes the step taken by the President as a good move.

“The president of the republic, His Excellency Salva Kiir Mayardit, after long consultations with some individuals, I think has accepted and agreed to ask his brother and his colleague and our neighbour, His Excellency William Ruto to host and mediate peace between the government of South Sudan and the holdout group called SOMMA in Nairobi,” said Bakosoro.

“It was a good move and the letter has been discussed with the president and we are just hoping soon or later, the president of the Republic of Kenya will begin the process,” he said.

Bakasoro added President Salva Kiir wants to ensure the hold our groups participate in the election process.

“It was based on the fact that now South Sudan maybe 2024 will be going on general elections, and the president thought wise that he could not go for elections in 2024 without South Sudanese populous joining the elections and going to their constituency, to see whether they will come to the government or not, or they will be elected,” he said.

“He [President Kiir] has given a free chance to all the holdout groups to begin the negotiations so that now we can broker any peace agreement with them,” the Minister of Presidential Affairs has said.