Pagan Amum Okech, leader of The Real SPLM, speaks during an interview with Eye Radio in Nairobi on June 6, 2024. - Photo credit: Eye Radio/Lou Nelson
The leader of the South Sudan Opposition Movement Alliance argued that the Tumaini Initiative should remain separate from the Revitalized Peace Agreement, which has remained unimplemented for the past six years.
On Tuesday, the Minister of Cabinet Affairs announced that the Presidency decided that the Tumaini Initiative must align with the updated peace agreement.
Dr. Martin Elia Lomuro said in a meeting chaired by President Salva Kiir, the presidency also stated that the Nairobi peace talks should not contradict the provisions of the peace agreement.
The ongoing Tumaini Initiative in Nairobi is between the unity government and non-signatories to the peace deal.
Martin said the Presidency also directed the unity government to conduct a comparative analysis between the Tumaini provisions to the provisions of the revitalized peace agreement.
Reacting to the matter, Pagan Amum – who is also the leader of Real SPLM – described the Nairobi peace talks as larger than the revitalized peace agreement.
He said the unity government has failed to implement the 2018 peace deal, adding that the Tumaini is a rescue plan for the country.
“How do they expect the non-signatories to join the failed R-ARCSS? How can we bring peace if they want to do everything as they have done in the past without any changes? This is mindboggling for us,” Pagan told Eye Radio on Thursday.
“We will be asking the government delegation and the presidency to explain how can we achieve peace if they want to do things the same way they have done it in the last six years,” said Pagan.
“The Tumaini is larger than the R-ARCSS. How can you make the Tumaini an annexe to an agreement that its parties have failed to implement? he asked.
“Tumaini is a stand-alone agreement incorporating all those provisions of R-ARCSS that have not been implemented.”
Pagan went on to question the willingness of parties to the revitalized peace agreement to bring lasting peace to the country.
“If we do not bring changes to the Tumaini initiative to implement the rescue plan and achieve sustainable peace, we will not succeed,” Pagan said.
“If the Minister of Cabinet Affairs opposes any changes or agreements that might differ from or contradict the provisions of the R-ARCSS, it will undermine peace efforts,” he said.
“Such resistance to change could lead to continued failure in achieving peace and may be an attempt to prolong power while ignoring the needs of the South Sudanese people.
“By resisting necessary changes, they would be disregarding the interests of the South Sudanese people who are desperate for peace,” Pagan concluded.
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