Peter Lam Both., the SPLM Secretary General - Credit: Office of the FVP - March 29, 2022

The Secretary General of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement has shed light on the complexity of the Tumaini Initiative negotiations, highlighting the efforts made by SPLM to prevent the process from collapsing.

Peter Lam Both explained that the SPLM as a key peace partner is currently working with “delicate equations” to ensure that the peace process remains on track while navigating the conflicting dynamics of the Tumaini framework and the 2018 Revitalized Peace Agreement.

In an exclusive interview with Eye Radio on Friday, December 27, Lam pointed out that during the initial Nairobi negotiations, the first team involved in Tumaini went beyond their mandate, which raised serious concerns within the SPLM.

“What is important for our people to understand is that the SPLM is dealing with equations,” Lam said. “The way Tumaini was negotiated in Nairobi by the first group went beyond their mandate.”

The decision to overstep the original mandate had immediate consequences. Members of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-in-Opposition (SPLM-IO), who were part of the negotiations, were pulled out by their leadership, fearing that the Tumaini Initiative was evolving into a new agreement that could replace the 2018 peace deal, rather than complement it.

Lam revealed, “What was being done in Nairobi was a new agreement that was replacing the 2018 revitalized agreement. That was when the bell was rung, and we began to look at what these people were saying.”

Upon careful examination of the documents and protocols, Lam and his team found that some provisions in the Tumaini Initiative overstepped their intended scope, creating further complications.

“After studying the documents, we found that indeed the Tumaini initiative, especially the initial protocols, had overstepped their mandate,” Lam added.

Lam emphasized that the SPLM is now tasked with reconciling the two agreements to avoid undermining the 2018 peace accord.

“The articles of Tumaini were repetitions of the 2018 agreement, and so now it has become incumbent on SPLM to reconcile these two texts,” he explained, stressing the importance of aligning the Tumaini Initiative with the 2018 peace agreement to maintain stability in the peace process.

The Tumaini Initiative, launched in 2023, aims to address the exclusion of the South Sudan Opposition Movement Alliance (SSOMA) from the 2018 agreement.

However, it has sparked controversy, with some signatories arguing that its provisions violate the original peace deal.

Lam stressed that it is crucial to harmonize the Tumaini framework with the 2018 agreement to prevent divisions that could destabilize the peace process.

“We aim to harmonize the two agreements while giving the opposition in Nairobi what they are asking for, but without violating the 2018 agreement to the point that it forces other parties to walk away,” Lam said, underscoring the need to balance the demands of opposition groups with the integrity of the 2018 peace deal.

One of the most contentious issues within the Tumaini Initiative, according to Lam, is the creation of a National Leadership Council, which he believes would have more authority than the presidency.

“The creation of an institution called the National Leadership Council was more powerful than the presidency. The presidency is the highest office in the country, and it cannot report to an institution again in South Sudan,” Lam explained, highlighting the potential risks to the country’s governance.

Another point of contention is the formation of a high-level panel, led by President Ruto of Kenya, which would have the power to oversee South Sudan’s progress and make decisions on behalf of the country.

“The high-level panel, which was comprised of regional leaders, regional presidents, and prime ministers under the leadership of President Ruto, would require the president of South Sudan to report to them,” Lam said. “We saw that as interference into the sovereignty of the country.”

Lam’s remarks come after threats by key signatories to abandon the Nairobi peace talks in August 2024, with the future of the Tumaini Initiative hanging in the balance.

Despite the challenges, Lam believes that the SPLM’s intervention in Nairobi was crucial to prevent the collapse of the initiative.

“If we hadn’t gone to Nairobi, Tumaini would be dead,” he explained. “It would have meant that the IO, the SSOA, and the OPP would pull out of the government, and that would have disastrous consequences.”

Lam stressed that such a scenario would have catastrophic consequences for South Sudan, potentially leading the country back into full-scale war.

“If these three parties leave Juba now, it means we are going back to full-scale war,” he warned. “I don’t think anybody in South Sudan with their right mind would think that throwing away Riek Machar and bringing Pagan Amum is a solution.”

With the Tumaini Initiative set to resume in January 2025 after a break for the holiday season, Lam’s call for careful diplomacy and inclusivity remains at the forefront of South Sudan’s efforts to ensure a stable and lasting peace.