The movement’s leader, Maj. General Gatkuoth Biel Nyang, confirmed their support for the Nairobi peace talks and endorsed President Kiir’s initiative

By Chol Chanyuong

The SPLM-IO (Kitgwang Peace Wing) has renewed its support for the Tumaini talks taking place in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi.

The movement’s leader, Maj. General Gatkuoth Biel Nyang, confirmed their support for the Nairobi peace talks and endorsed President Kiir’s initiative.

“We affirm our unparalleled support and endorsement of President Kiir’s initiative, the Tumaini Initiative, with all our military and political bases.”

“The Tumaini Initiative represents a valuable opportunity for the South Sudanese people, and therefore the interest of the nation must be upheld to achieve peace and stability,” he added.

The talks are expected to resume today, on Monday, November 18, 2024, after being halted last July following the withdrawal of members of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement in Opposition (SPLM-IO) from the government delegation to the negotiations.

The Tumaini initiative was launched on May 10 with the aim of mediating the conflict in South Sudan by incorporating all the holdout groups that have not rejected the 2018 revitalized agreement.

The efforts to resume Tumaini achieved success after the visit of Kenyan President William Ruto to Juba, where he held talks with his South Sudanese counterpart Salva Kiir, First Vice President Riek Machar and other key stakeholders in the Transitional Government of National Unity, to resume the talks in Nairobi to address the outstanding issues.

In his statements, Gatkuoth revealed that there is communication between them and the mediation committee in the Tumaini initiative, led by retired General Lazarus Sumbeiywo.

“We are in constant communication, and we met with the head of the mediation and his esteemed delegation and discussed the possibility of our participation in this initiative, and he welcomed us, but the initiative entered a period of stagnation in the past months. However, with its reopening again, I expect that the mediation will send its invitations again to the parties.”

“When the former head of the Kitgwang movement, General Simon Gatwech refused to come to Juba at the time to implement the Khartoum Agreement, General Johnson Olony broke away from him and came to Juba and announced his joining the ruling party. He and his faction (Aguilek) were absorbed into the army.

“At that time, we pressured General Gatwech to take serious steps towards peace, but our efforts failed with the general, so the military leadership dismissed him. This step was widely accepted by the military and political leadership in the Kitgwang faction,” Gatkuoth added.

Meanwhile, the transitional government is making strenuous efforts to bring the parties to a comprehensive peace, through the Tumaini initiative, which paves the way for free and fair elections in December 2026.

“We are in constant communication, and we met with the head of the mediation and his esteemed delegation and discussed the possibility of our participation in this initiative,” Maj. General Gatkuoth Biel Nyang of the SPLM-IO Kitgwang Peace Wing.