Government, opposition, lock horns on Tumaini implementation framework
By Emmanuel Mandella
Negotiations around the Tumaini Initiative have entered a critical juncture, with sharp divisions emerging between the government and the United People’s Alliance (UPA) over its implementation framework.
The Kenya-led peace process, seen as a potential breakthrough for lasting stability in South Sudan, faces a major setback after UPA rejected its incorporation into the 2018 Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCSS), insisting that the talks stand alone.
Addressing the media on Tuesday, Dr. Martin Elia Lomuro, the spokesperson for the government delegation, emphasized that Juba’s position is rooted in the consensus achieved under the revitalized peace agreement.
He argued that integrating the Tumaini Initiative into R-ARCSS would strengthen existing mechanisms and foster inclusive governance by bringing opposition groups into structures like the Reconstituted Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (RJMEC) and the Ceasefire and Transitional Security Arrangements Monitoring and Verification Mechanism (CTSAM-VM), among others.
“The government remains committed to effective implementation of the revitalized agreement in partnership with all opposition groups,” said Dr. Lomuro. “Our proposal reflects a unified path toward durable peace.”
However, UPA representative, Lual Dau, criticized government’s approach, branding R-ARCSS a “failed agreement” and insisting that the Tumaini Initiative must stand on its own.
“We cannot and will not sign a consensus that becomes an annex to R-ARCSS,” Mr. Dau declared. “Let it be known from today henceforth that the Tumaini consensus will be a standalone agreement with its own clear implementation mechanisms as agreed in the initialed protocols.”
Mr. Dau stressed that the current talks should prioritize unresolved power-sharing issues. “The only protocol left for discussion is responsibility sharing. We can conclude the Tumaini consensus expeditiously if we stick to this subject,” he said.
In a conciliatory tone, Mr. Dau acknowledged certain positive elements in the government’s position, hinting at potential areas of agreement when the opposition team presents its formal response on Thursday.
“We will ask questions, appreciate the good, and explain how we arrived at our protocols,” he remarked. “It is in the interest of peace that we engage as brothers and sisters to find a way forward.”
As the talks progress, stakes remain high for a peace process that could either bridge divisions or deepen political rifts in a nation still yearning for stability.
Meanwhile, the leader of the United People’s Alliance (UPA), General Pagan Amum, has expressed cautious optimism on the peace talks as the negotiations resumed in Nairobi on Monday.
Amum voiced serious concerns about the government’s commitment to the process, accusing its delegation of backtracking on previously agreed protocols.
“Talks are progressing well, but our observation is that the government is reneging on the eight protocols we had initialed,” Amum told Radio Tamazuj in an exclusive interview on Tuesday. “The government is reopening what we had already agreed upon for renegotiation, and this is widening the gap between the two sides.”
Meanwhile, the government has reiterated its stand on aligning the protocols in the Kenya-led peace talks to the R-ARCSS.
