Puok Both, SPLM-IO Director for Information, also Acting Press Secretary in the Office of the First Vice President - Courtesy

SPLM-IO – one of the main peace partners in the transitional government now says it supports the Kenya-led South Sudan peace talks with opposition groups – a U-turn from its earlier withdrawal in the process.

This comes after the group’s leader and First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar met with the U.S. Ambassador to South Sudan Michael J. Adler on November 15 to discuss a number of topics including the planned resumption of the peace negotiations.

In a press statement, SPLM-IO revealed that other key topics included the 2018 peace implementation, public financial management, transparency in public revenue, and various aspects of political and civic space.

SPLM-IO Director for Information Puok Both Baluang said the Tumaini Initiative is a step towards realizing genuine peace but added that it should be complementary to the revitalized peace agreement.

He said the SPLM-IO concurs with the holdout opposition groups that the peace implementation is not moving fast and would welcome any genuine peace talks to strengthen its implementation.

Mr. Baluang said about six members of the group under First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar are among the newly-reconstituted 15-member government delegation to Tumaini peace negotiations.

These include the Deputy Head of Delegation and Minister of petroleum Puot Kang.

Others are ministers of Mining and Energy, Peter Marcelo and Martin Abucha, and lawmakers Gai Mayen and Kuong Dak.

He said the group has always been pro-inclusive peace and further argued that the Nairobi peace process was a “brainchild of the SPLM-IO.”

“During the retreat in Rome, H.E. Dr. Riek Machar persuaded the Sant’Egidio to mediate or to broker the process of the negotiation with the hold-out groups.”

“So, we are not against the Tumaini, we are not against the hold-out groups or the other opposition groups such as SSOMA. But, we are for a genuine peace in South Sudan, a genuine peace that will have the R-ARCSS as the backbone of it.”

“Tumaini or any peace process or any peace agreement should be a complementary to the R-ARCSS. The arrangement (to resume Tumaini initiative) is ongoing. Anytime time when the arrangement is concluded, we expect them to fly to Nairobi.”

In July 2024, SPLM-IO pulled out of the peace talks aimed at bringing on board holdout opposition groups, arguing that its protocols undermined the sovereignty of South Sudan.

The main peace partner said the Tumaini Initiative had established five institutions with the head and deputies to be appointed by the regional body, IGAD.

Following its withdrawal, government delegation to the Tumaini flew to back to Juba and briefed the President on the process.

Two days later, the delegation met with Vice President Dr. Riek Machar and resolved that the matter would be addressed at the level of the presidency.