The Nairobi mediation between the government of South Sudan and the hold-out groups began on a sour note on April 9 with three main organisations distancing themselves from the talks.
The suspicion between some holdout groups and President William Ruto and Kenya as a venue persists, even after the appointment of the respected, Lt. Gen (rtd) Lazarous Sumbeiywo as the Chief Mediator.
Three of the five-member South Sudan Opposition Movement Alliance (SSOMA)—that did not sign the 2018 peace agreement—boycotted the mediation, calcifying in a letter to the international community that they are not participating in the Kenyan peace mediation process, due to the venue and the process that was followed.
They are; the National Salvation Front (NAS) led by Gen Thomas Cirrillo, National Democratic Movement – Patriotic Front (NDM-PF), led by Emmanuel Ajawin and the South Sudan National Movement for Change (SSNMC), headed by Alex Yatta Lukadi,
However, the two other groups, Real-SPLM headed by Pagan Amum, and the the South Sudan United Front/Army (SSUF/A), one of the opposition groups led by former army chief Gen Paul Malong, attended.
It appears that the SSOMA is on the way to a permanent split given that in 2020, the three who boycotted had suspended both Gen Malong and Mr Amum—for having secret consultations with President Salva Kiir.
Mr Ajawin, who is the SOMMA secretary said that his group had not only expressed reservation with the Kenyan venue because of possible intimidation by the Kenyan authorities due to close links between President Ruto and President Kiir, their demand for a round-table conference of all stakeholders to deliberate on the root causes of the conflict in South Sudan—had been ignored.
He listed six South Sudanese who had been abducted in Kenya and renditioned to South Sudan—with three having been killed—as some of the reasons why they don’t feel safe in Kenya.
Their demand for a roundtable format outside Kenya involving every stakeholder would amount to fresh negotiations for a new peace agreement.
As Mr Ajawing put it, “The Rome Initiative is a credible process that provides an environment for free, open and transparent discussions devoid of any coercion or intimidation”.
He noted that the Rome Initiative dragged on for a long because the government was intransigent, deployed delaying tactics, and obstructed discussions about the root causes of the conflict in South Sudan.
However, the launch of the Nairobi mediation saw the attendance of several leaders in Africa which sent a strong message that the SOMMA could be isolated.
They included Presidents Ruto, Kiir, Lazarus Chakwera (Malawi), Hakainde Hichilema (Zambia), Nangolo Mbumba (Namibia), and Faustin-Archange Touadera (Central African Republic), and African Union Commission Chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat,
President Kiir assured those doubting the commitment of the Juba administration that his government would negotiate in good faith and with an open mind.
“We hope that the opposition groups have a similar conviction and desire for peace in South Sudan, which, when fully achieved, will bring everlasting stability and economic development in the region, not just South Sudan,” he said.
President Ruto expressed the need for inclusive and home-grown solutions to African issues. “This initiative exemplifies the Pan-African policy of African solutions to African challenges, contributing to the ‘Silencing the Guns in Africa’ initiative and fostering an environment for transformational development in South Sudan, our region, and the entire African continent,” he said.
Despite the absence of the three other groups, Gen Sumbeiywo expressed optimism that the talks would resolve the outstanding issues.
“After this launch, we plan to engage in sustained and continuous mediation to ensure a speedy and comprehensive resolution of the issues, so long as the parties go along with the plan,” he said.
The chairperson of the Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (JMEC), Gen Charles Gituai told the gathering that The Nairobi mediation could create momentum for the implementation of the pending clauses of the 2018 peace agreement to achieve inclusivity and build tolerance, reconciliation, and forgiveness.
