President William Ruto is set to jet out of the country for the second time in less than a week ahead of a crucial meeting in South Sudan.
According to Presidential Press Secretary Lily Martin Manyiel Ayuel, President Ruto is set to brief President Salva Kiir on the progress of the Tumaini Initiative, which is being mediated by the Kenyan government between the government of South Sudan and holdout opposition groups.
“President Ruto will be coming tomorrow (Wednesday) upon the invitation of His Excellency President Salva Kiir Mayardit,” the Presidential Press Secretary said as she quelled rumours that the South Sudan president is no longer interested in the Tumaini initiative.
Why it matters: The Tumaini Initiative, which was launched on May 9, 2024, mainly entails talks between the South Sudanese coalition government under President Kiir and groups of South Sudan’s Opposition movements.
President William Ruto and South Sudan President Salva Kiir Mayardit. PHOTO/ Courtesy
The groups had initially refused to sign a peace agreement in 2018 known as R-ARCSS (Revitalised Agreement on Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan) which brought in place a transitional government.
Key among the holdout groups’ concerns was the government delegation was taking too long in Juba, which further escalated rumours that elements in government security agencies were keen on scuppering the Tumaini initiative.
President Ruto has been at the heart of the peace talks, meeting with the High-Level Standing Committee for South Sudan on Monday, October 28.
The committee was led by South Sudan’s Minister of Cabinet Affairs, Martin Elia Lomuro, who conveyed a message from President Salva Kiir Mayardit.
After his meeting last Monday, October 28, Ruto reiterated regional leadership’s commitment to curbing forces that posed a threat to the peace of Kenya’s key allies.
“Peace and security in our region have significantly been boosted by the close collaboration between us and our partners around the world,” Ruto stated last week. “As a result, we have substantially rolled back the threat of radicalization, violent extremism, and organised crime.”President Ruto’s latest endeavour comes just days after he visited Burundi for high-level discussions at the COMESA Summit.
The summit was mainly aimed at cementing member countries including Kenya’s multilateral relations and strengthening regional value chains to deepen COMESA integration with other strategic partners across various fields of mutual interest.
An image of the Kenya and South Sudan flags representing the Tumaini Initiative. PHOTO/ Courtesy.
