U.S. Ambassador to South Sudan, Michael J. Adler. (Photo: Courtesy).

The US Ambassador to South Sudan says “now is the right time for South Sudan leaders to engage in direct dialogue for lasting peace in the country.”

Michael J. Adler says the priorities of US government in South Sudan starts with peace.

“US priorities in South Sudan start with peace, our priority is peace, which we believe can be nest secured to genuine and peace elections, said diplomat Adler after meeting with the national parliament speaker, Jemma Nunu Kumba in Juba on Mondya.

He underscored the importance of progress in the  Tumaini Initiative meeting the existing peace process in the country.

“I also agreed with the Rt. Hon. Speaker that the talks in Nairobi are important, that it is imperative there will be progress meeting existing peace commitments.

This, according to Adler, can lead to peaceful and genuine election.

“We believe that now is the time for direct dialogue among leaders in Juba in order to create the conditions necessary to genuine [elections].”

The Nairobi-led peace process came to a halt after the SPLM-IO pull out of the talks after the government of which is is part of, and the hold out groups initialed eight protocols.

The protocols, according to the opposition led by Dr Riek Machar, repeated provisions of the 2018 peace deal and introduced new institution replacing or running parallel to the current ones.

According to peace party,  the initiative had taken the role of a funder,  supervisor, coordinator, convener of a donor conference,  funder manager, monitor of the agreement, guarantor and governing authority.

The opposition also said the Tumaini undermined the sovereignty of South Sudan by establishing five institutions with the head and deputies to be appointed by the regional body, IGAD.

These include the Security Supervision Mechanism, Ceasefire Transitional Security Arrangements Monitoring Mechanism, Reconstituted Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission, National Transitional Committee, and Strategic Defense and Security Review Board to be co-chaired by the parties to the 2018 agreement.

Meanwhile, the SPLM-IO said: “The proposed National Leadership Council usurped the powers of the Presidency, Council of Ministers, the National Legislature and the National Security Council.”