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South Sudan’s government, opposition and other stakeholders in the Tumani (Hope) Initiative signed eight protocols on Monday, a key step in the peace talks in Nairobi, Kenya.
Since May 9, Kenya has been hosting high-level meetings between representatives of the South Sudanese government and opposition factions that were not part of the 2018 agreement that ended five years of civil war.
The document outlines the preamble, statement of purpose, general principles, humanitarian access and support protocol, trust and confidence-building protocol, permanent ceasefire, security arrangements and reforms, communal conflict, armed civilians and land disputes, and guarantors.
The talks, known as Tumaini (Swahili for “hope”), recently produced a draft agreement proposing an extension of the country’s transition period and a postponement of upcoming elections to complete the country’s constitutional and electoral processes, as well as to delineate constituency boundaries and form a unified security force.
The draft peace agreement establishes a National Leadership Council to provide leadership and guidance to the Joint Defence Council, the National Constitutional Review Commission, the National Electoral Commission, the Political Parties Commission and other institutions with responsibilities related to the implementation of the Toumani Framework.
The document retains the existing structure of the presidency. It expands the presidency to accommodate more members from opposition groups and signatories of the Toumani Initiative, who will become part of the leadership council.
The document said the parties agreed to revitalize, structure and reorganize the National Constitution Review Commission (NCRC) to expand its membership and establish an inclusive commission. They also agreed to enhance the inclusiveness of the constitution-making structure and process. However, the parties have yet to agree on the venue for the constitutional conference.
The 25-page document details an inclusive governance structure and the sharing of responsibilities between the government, the opposition and other stakeholders, covering areas such as executive responsibilities, the legislature, security, the constitutional process and election management.
Other areas of governance and responsibility-sharing agreed by the two sides include justice sector reform, ceasefire, and security arrangements and reforms. The document talks about the reconstitution of the Strategic Defence and Security Review Commission (SDSR), which will be composed of representatives of armed opposition groups to develop and implement comprehensive security sector reforms, leading to the creation of a unified army and the reorganization of other organized forces.
The parties and stakeholders agreed to form a high-level group of regional heads of state and government, which will consist of the heads of state and government of the region. The duties and role of this group will be to liaise with the National Leadership Council, monitor and oversee the agreement.
In December 2023, President Salva Kiir asked his Kenyan counterpart William Ruto to take over the mediation of the Roman Community of Sant’Egidio, complaining that the negotiations had spent too long in the hands of Rome without a solution.
In February this year, President Ruto accepted the decision after consulting with the Roman Catholic Community of Sant’Egidioso.
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