By Emmanuel Mandella

The Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO) has called on the government and opposition leaders engaged in the Tumaini Initiative mediation to prioritize peace and stability over personal interests.

The mediation, scheduled for finalization in January 2025, is at risk of derailing due to entrenched political rigidity and self-serving agendas, CEPO warned.

Speaking on the matter, Mr. Edmund Yakani, the Executive Director of CEPO, stressed the need for compromise as a cornerstone for successful peace talks.

“The political attitudes of rigidity and non-compromise are the biggest threats to achieving genuine implementation of the transitional process in South Sudan,” Yakani said.

The Tumaini Initiative has been hailed as a transformative platform with the potential to craft a robust political framework for transitioning South Sudan from years of instability to a future of peace and stability. However, CEPO pointed out that leaders from both sides appear more focused on retaining power than fostering national unity.

Yakani urged both the government and opposition parties to embrace unconditional dialogue.

“The opposition needs to extend an olive branch to the government, and vice versa, without setting preconditions. Political instability has already pushed civil servants to endure ten months without salaries, a grave violation of their rights as workers and employees,” he added.

CEPO also highlighted the dire need for political leaders to utilize the Tumaini Initiative as a tool for securing commitments that would pave the way for credible and peaceful elections.

As January 2025 approaches, the stakes could not be higher for South Sudan’s leadership to prioritize the citizens’ interests over their own.

 “Our leaders must seize this opportunity to chart a path toward lasting peace and stability. Failure to do so would be a betrayal of the trust and hopes of millions of South Sudanese citizens,” Yakani concluded.

With the nation yearning for progress, all eyes are now on the Tumaini mediation process to deliver on its promise of a brighter future.