Lam Akol calls on R-ARCSS signatories to decide on Tumaini initiative as it threatens existing agreements
Concerns against the Tumaini initiative continue to mount as Dr. Lam Akol’s National Democratic Movement (NDM) and Dharuai Mabor’s Party of National Unity (PNU) become the latest signatories to the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCSS) to express their reservations. They accuse the initiative of being exclusive and secretive and describe some prospects of the process as ‘horrifying’ with the potential of overriding the R-ARCSS and dismantling structures it established.
In a document dated August 5, 2024 entitled “Position of the National Democratic Party (NDM) and Party of National Unity (PNU) on the Tumaini initiative”, the two leaders voiced their concerns. The statement highlights various issues with the process including divergent views resulting in the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-In Opposition (SPLM-IO) of Riek Machar withdrawing from the initiative; participants claiming exclusion from key discussions that led to the protocols; and senior SPLM leader and Presidential Advisor Kuol Manyang expressing his disapproval of the process.
[Tumaini’s] provisions shall prevail over the provisions of all previous agreements, the R-ARCSS included…
The document also criticizes Paragraph 12.2 of the Tumaini Consensus and Implementation Framework for the Permanent Constitution and Sustainable Peace for South Sudan pointing out that, “not only do the Tumaini outcomes constitute a stand-alone agreement but more importantly its provisions shall prevail over the provisions of all previous agreements, the R-ARCSS included.”
Dr. Akol and Mabor emphasize that, under Paragraph 12.2, many R-ARCSS-agreed structures and mechanisms risk being wiped out as the paragraph declares, “the [Tumaini] Framework supersedes all previous agreements with regards to the implementation plans, structures, and processes.”
To address these concerns, the two leaders urge other R-ARCSS signatories to convene a meeting to discuss and agree on the way forward for the Tumaini initiative.
“In view of the divergent views that have now emerged among Parties to the R-ARCSS on the Tumaini initiative, it is incumbent upon all of us (signatories) to convene a meeting of all Parties to R-ARCSS to discuss and agree on the way forward for the Tumaini Initiative.”
They also suggest that involving holdout groups in the inter-party dialogue from the beginning would have saved time and effort.
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20240509 SSOMA Position on the current Kenyan Peace Mediation
