Cabinet Minister Dr. Martin Elia Lomuro speaks to the media in Juba. | Photo: FVP Press Unit/Facebook
The Minister of Cabinet Affairs said parties to the 2018 revitalized peace agreement are finalizing consultative discussions to unify their position toward the Kenya-led peace negotiation.
An internal rift within the transitional government has cast a shadow on the Tumaini Initiative immediately after an agreement on its protocols.
The SPLM-In Opposition rejected the document and declared its withdrawal from the process on July 12, arguing that it has established alternative institutions to the 2018 peace accord.
Since then, the government delegation to Tumaini Initiative returned to Juba and met with First Vice Dr Riek Machar over his party’s withdrawal and how to address their concerns.
Cabinet Minister Dr Martin Elia Lomuro says the government delegation held a long meeting chaired by First Vice President Dr Riek Machar to address the challenges facing the Tumaini Initiative.
He said the meeting was to study provisions of the 2018 peace accord and the Tumaini Initiative, and how to harmonize them.
“We had a discussion which took us very long to look at the various sections of the Tumaini agreement in comparison to the R-ARCISS and the roadmap, and how we can harmonize these two agreements to address the challenges of our country,” Lomuro said, on state-owned television SSBC.
Dr. Lomuro said all the peace parties have given their views on the issue, adding they are producing minutes of the discussion to guide the president on the way forward.
He added that the High-Level Standing Committee of the government is looking in details into areas where there are similarities, where there are differences and how to create a harmonious document which can now be owned by all.
“I think this is a good move. We have challenged ourselves to move forward, and the approach which has been taken will lead to a way forward.”
Dr Lomuro did not reveal if the discussions were successful, and Eye Radio contacted Puok Both Baluang, the Press Secretary in the Office of FVP Dr Riek Machar for comment and has not heard back.
However, SPLM-IO Deputy Chairperson Oyet Nathaniel, who also serves as the First Deputy Speaker of the Transitional National Legislative Assembly, publicly criticized the Tumaini Initiative in his address to peace partners on Thursday.
“What I am saying is that the process in the Tumaini is an abrogation of the R-ARCISS, which is the only framework resolving the conflict in South Sudan,” he said.
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