The former Lainya County Commissioner said the conflict that is going around in Central Equatoria State is affecting the communities and they need to persuade Gen Cirilo to join the peace process

By Anak Dut

The former commissioner of Lainya County, Emmanuel Khamis Richard, has challenged the Central Equatoria State leaders to persuade Gen Thomas Cirilo to join the Tumaini peace talks.

“The individuals who are still holding out and not part of the Tumaini Initiative, need to be persuaded as they are sons and daughters of particular communities in South Sudan,” Khamis stressed.

“They are not foreigners for example, Thomas Cirilo is a Bari from Central Equatoria. So, we have to take responsibility as leaders of Central Equatoria to look for him to persuade him,” he said.

He continued that the conflict that is going around in Central Equatoria State is affecting the communities and they need to persuade Gen Cirilo to join the peace process because the people are suffering.

Khamis highlighted the importance of opening up to convince those still in the bush to come back home instead of looking at them as complete black enemies. On a separate note, Khamis stressed the need for the integration of the forces that are parties to the revitalized peace agreement.

He said having unified forces will ensure peaceful and credible elections in 2026.

“So, when the country goes for elections, there should be only one army in the country. We cannot go for elections when we have several armed groups with different commanders,” Khamis stated.

According to him, with several armed groups, there might be prevention of civilians from crossing from one point to another to vote.  “During elections, there will be centres that will be established for people to go and vote and if this center is controlled by another military group, how do you expect civilians from another military side to cross for voting?”

Also, he appealed to the leaders to put their interests aside, saying if the leaders continue to defend their positions, the suffering will continue endlessly.

While the National Salvation Front (NAS) leader took part in the Rome Initiative mediated by the Community Sant’Egidio, and signed the Rome Declaration to stop hostilities and ceasefire, Cirilo has stayed away from the Nairobi-led peace talks dubbed, Tumaini Initiative.

Speaking to the media in December last year, NAS spokesperson, Samuel Suba reiterated their position of not taking part in the negotiations, saying the ‘talks are just a renewal of the 2018 revitalized peace agreement which we did not agree to or sign because it did not address solutions for South Sudan to attain genuine peace.’

However, there have been loud calls to have more parties that were did not sign the 2018 revitalized peace agreement to join the Tumaini Initiative for an all-inclusive negotiation.

President Salva Kiir, in his New Year’s address to the nation, called on South Sudanese leaders and opposition groups to compromise and prioritize patriotism, unity and leadership over politics, as the Tumaini Initiative peace talks geared for resumption early this month (January).

“We are in a transitional government made up of parties to the agreement. I do not foresee it just to leave any party behind, nor isolate some of the existing parties to the agreement,” Kiir said, adding:

“I implore us to compromise; to accommodate all the parties for the time has come where leadership is needed more than politics. Politics is casted on positions seeking and self-interest; but leadership is about vision for a better tomorrow, for the next generation.”