Kenya Postpones South Sudan Peace Talks Until March 2025 for Further Consultations
Kenya has agreed to pause the South Sudan peace talks in Nairobi until March 2025 to allow more consultations.
President William Ruto announced the decision on Thursday, February 20, after discussions with the South Sudan Opposition Hold-Out Group. He explained that the delay was requested by South Sudan’s government delegation.
“I met with the Opposition Hold-Out Group of South Sudan, and we agreed—at the request of South Sudan’s government—to adjourn the mediation process in Nairobi until March 2025. This will allow for further consultations to determine the best way forward,” Ruto stated.
The mediation, which has been ongoing for nearly a year, began at the request of South Sudan’s President, Salva Kiir Mayardit.
“For the past 11 months, Kenya has been leading this peace process to help resolve the political deadlock in South Sudan. This impasse has created serious humanitarian and security challenges,” Ruto added.
The Tumaini Peace Initiative and Mediation Challenges
Kenya launched the Tumaini Peace Initiative in May 2024 to help South Sudan’s Transitional Government of National Unity (TGoNU) negotiate with opposition groups that refused to sign the 2018 Revitalized Peace Agreement (R-ARCSS).
Under the leadership of Ruto and Chief Mediator Major-General (Retired) Lazarus Sumbeiywo, the Nairobi talks aimed to resolve lingering issues from the 2018 peace deal and address the concerns of opposition groups.
However, the process faced major hurdles.
In July 2024, the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-in-Opposition (SPLM-IO), led by First Vice President Riek Machar, withdrew from the talks, fearing that the Tumaini Initiative could undermine the existing peace agreement.
In November 2024, Presidents Kiir and Ruto met and directed the mediation team to resolve all outstanding issues within two weeks.
As a result, negotiations resumed in December 2024, focusing on critical matters such as security arrangements, power-sharing, and drafting a permanent constitution.
Now, with talks postponed until March 2025, all parties will have time to review key concerns before resuming negotiations.
Kenya Postpones South Sudan Peace Talks Until March 2025 for Further Consultations
