Nairobi: Talks between South Sudan’s Transitional Government of National Unity and holdout opposition groups have been adjourned in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi. Chief Mediator Lazarus Sumbeiywo announced the adjournment on Saturday, noting that some progress had been made that could potentially lead to a new dispensation in South Sudan.
According to Namibia Press Agency, the talks come at a critical time for South Sudan, which is grappling with significant challenges. The country faces a humanitarian crisis with 9 million people in need of aid, 7.5 million experiencing food insecurity, and over 1 million returnees and refugees fleeing violence in neighboring Sudan.
Sumbeiywo identified three priority areas crucial for ending the ongoing transition in South Sudan: the unification of forces and security sector reforms, the permanent constitution-making process, and the holding of free, fair, credible, and transparent elections. He emphasized that addressing these areas could help end the conflict in the nation.
“Given the acute human insecurity and humanitarian crisis in South Sudan, the mediation believes that actions must be taken for there to be effective mechanisms of implementation,” Sumbeiywo stated in a communique issued in Nairobi.
The peace talks, known as Tumaini, meaning hope in Swahili, have been ongoing in Nairobi since last year. However, they have occasionally been postponed to allow for further consultations among the parties involved. During the latest round, a joint technical committee extensively deliberated the root causes of the conflict.
The committee identified the root causes as political, governance and leadership crises, power struggles, structural and institutional weaknesses, and economic crisis and resource mismanagement. Additional factors include insecurity and militarization of society, lack of social cohesion and historical factors, and external and geopolitical influences.