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Juba: Alnaeim Mubarak Kuol
A civil society activist has renewed his call for the Transitional National Unity Government and the Kenyan mediation team to persuade other hold-out groups to join the ongoing Tumaini peace talks in Nairobi, which are set to resume between the government and opposition groups that have so far refused to participate.
President Salva Kiir has reshaped the government’s negotiation team after several setbacks and appointed his senior advisor, Kuol Manyang, to lead the new 15-member delegation.
Edmund Yakani urged the new delegation to reach out to political leaders who were not part of the initial process, including General Thomas Cirilo, Simon Gatwech, Emmanuel Ajawin, and others.
Mr. Yakani – the head of the Community Empowerment for Progress Organization – told EyeRadio that the Tumaini Initiative should include all groups that have not signed the revitalized peace agreement. “We know that there are groups that have been excluded, like the NAS under General Thomas Cirilo, the Kitgwang group under Simon Gatwech, and people like Emmanuel Ajawin, and people like Alex, who are still outside the peace process in Nairobi,” he said. “Even someone like Kenyi Loburong here in Wonduruba is part of the issues that were excluded. That is why, as stakeholders, we call for inclusivity.”
Yakani added that one of his discussions with the government team leader was to encourage them to use their reputation and personality to bring everyone to the negotiation table.
He acknowledged that these opposing groups have their own reservations about the peace process, but stressed the importance of “political maturity” in returning to the negotiating table to achieve a collective consensus.
