South Sudan parties set to resume peace talks in Kenya

JUBA - South Sudan's government delegation will arrive in Nairobi, Kenya's capital, on Saturday to resume negotiations aimed at achieving lasting peace and stability in the world's youngest nation.

Dubbed Tumaini, meaning hope in Swahili, the peace talks between South Sudan's transitional government and holdout opposition groups have been ongoing in Nairobi since last year but were postponed to allow for further consultations among the parties involved.

Kuol Manyang Juuk, government's chief negotiator for the Tumaini peace talks, expressed both parties' commitment to negotiations focused on durable peace, stability, and cohesion in South Sudan.

"We hope that we will reach an agreement," Juuk said at a briefing in Juba, the capital of South Sudan, emphasizing the need for the holdout opposition groups to join the peace bandwagon.

South Sudan United Front (SSUF), a member of the holdout groups under Paul Malong Awan, expressed commitment to the Tumaini peace initiative.

SSUF Spokesperson Garang Malual Deng told Xinhua that the holdout opposition groups are also ready to resume talks, with the hope of securing lasting peace, stability, and development in the country.

The Kenya-led Tumaini Initiative peace talks, which began on May 9, 2024, faced a setback in July when some parties raised concerns about specific mechanisms proposed in the negotiations.

The decision to resume the talks followed a meeting on Nov 6, 2024, between Kenyan President William Ruto and South Sudanese President Salva Kiir in Juba. During the meeting, the leaders directed the mediation team to reconvene and resolve any outstanding issues within two weeks before signing the final agreement.

The talks were later adjourned in December 2024 to allow for further consultations.