South Sudanese refugees in Kumar camp. (Video-captured photo/Courtesy).

South Sudanese refugees have commended the Nairobi peace talks and voiced optimism for a possible deal at the end of the negotiation -something they hope enable their return home to rebuild their lives.

The landlocked East African country of 12 million people  has experienced recurrent crises before and after gaining independence from Sudan on July 9, 2011.

Due to generational wars, the country has not been able to utilize its vast natural resources, including oil, gold, forestry, fertile land, water bodies, and livestock, for the welfare of its people.

After signing the revitalized peace agreement in September 2018 to end two consecutive civil wars in 2013 and 2016, the country is currently experiencing relative peace.

However, the presence of armed opposition groups outside of the agreement threatens the quest for long-term stability and the transition to democracy.

That is why political leaders from the government and the non-signatories are meeting in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, to resolve their differences and move the country forward.

Esther Nyoka, a South Sudanese refugee, is among the few who hope to return and rebuild her livelihood.

After the outbreak of the 2016 conflict, the mother of two left Yei and sought refuge in Zone One of the Palorinya refugee settlement in the Obongi district of Northern Uganda.

She is now looking to South Sudanese leaders to demonstrate political will and bring everlasting peace to enable the refugees to return to their places of origin.

“My worry is that we are still here in Uganda. It would be better for us to return back to our land, we never refused it,” Ms. Nyoka said.

“If they say that tomorrow, we shall go. If they agree themselves, we are ready to go it is our land and this is what we are looking for so we need peace.”

The conflicts that erupted two years after independence, claimed thousands of lives and displaced millions within and outside the country.

As of June 2023, there were nearly 2.4 million displaced refugees from South Sudan, making it the largest refugee crisis in Africa, according to the UN refugee agency, UNHCR.

For the last eight years, South Sudanese like Nyoka have been hoping their leaders would stabilize the country and facilitate the safe return of the displaced persons.

Addressing the SPLM supporters in Juba on Saturday, President Salva Kiir admitted that the civil wars had a severe impact on the local population in comparison to the liberation struggle.

“Two years after our independence, our country fell into another senseless war which was more severe than whatever happened before,” said Kiir.

“That war stopped our programs on promises we made to our people during the struggle. In 2018, I took another courageous decision and signed the revitalized peace agreement. The relative peace we have today is the result of that decision.”

The 2018 peace agreement is critical for addressing different aspects of the conflict and establishing a framework for peace, governance, justice, and development in the country.

The deal has not progressed swiftly, and parties have often attributed the delay in implementing key provisions to a lack of political will, insufficient resources, and the UN’s arms embargo imposed on South Sudan.

Others admit that steps towards implementing key reforms, including governance, justice, and economic management, have been slow.

However, Bangasi Joseph Bakosoro, Minister of Presidential Affairs, said in March 2024 during a civil society conference in Juba, that the implementation of the peace deal has faced not only a lack of political will but also other challenges.

“If you look very carefully at the implementation of this R-ARCSS, the agreement, there are some challenges and there are some lack of political will they are there, they are couples but not one sided. There are challenges, advantages and disadvantages.”

On her part, Angelina Teny, the South Sudan Minister of Interior and a senior member of SPLM IO  agrees with minister Bakosoro.

She described the implementation process of the peace accord as the most difficult activity, characterized by negotiations and dialogue in the path.

“The implementation has been one of the most difficult activities that some of us has get of. It has been a continues negotiation, continues dialogue.”

Although parties continue to dialogue on key provisions, observers including faith-based groups, civil society activists and international community believe lack of trust and confidence has partly delayed implementation of key provisions of the peace deal.

Enock Tombe, the emeritus Bishop of the Episcopal Church of South Sudan, Diocese of Rajaf, believes those in power fear losing their positions.

According to Tombe, some leaders also fear accountability for directing or taking part in the 2013 and 2016 violent conflict.

“It is simply because they fear lose their positions as well accountability for the crises which took place in 2013 as well as 2016.”

Edmond Yakani, a civil society activist argues that lack of trust and confidence-building is among the issues delaying the full implementation of the 2018 peace agreement.

This, according to Yakani, can be addressed by building trust among elites and the civilian population through reconciliation and healing processes.

“We feel that the delay in the timely implementation of the revitalized peace agreement, the inadequate funding of the revitalized peace agreement and the delay in gaining agreement through the Rome peace process for the four years and the question of shrinking civic and political space is a result of a deficit and trust and confidence among our leaders.”

“So, to address the question of political will and commitment adequate funding of the financing having open political and civics space for all actors that is through trust and confidence building initiative. Therefore, we are going to champion trust and confidence building among our leaders.”

One of the most critical challenges in the 2018 peace implementation is the security arrangement, particularly the slow phase of deployment of the necessary unified forces.

On 9th May 2024, President Salva Kiir launched a high-level peace talk in the Kenya with non-signatories to the 2018 peace deal as part of quest for peace and stability.

The new approach by the government focuses on governance, justice, security, and the economy, has however brought hope for lasting peace and stability in the world’s youngest nation.

President Salva Kiir expressed confidence in the Nairobi peace talk citing the historical relations between Juba and Nairobi.

“The Nairobi peace process led by Kenya helped negotiate the comprehensive peace agreement which ended Africa’s longest conflict.”

“That peace led to the independence of the Republic of South Sudan at the end of the interim period in 2011. I am confident that these efforts will yield a similar result as the country prepares for the general election this year.”

But Ngilisona Ofo, a resident of Wau in Western Bahr el Ghazal State expressed doubt that the Nairobi peace process will bear any tangible results.

According to Ofo, it is not the first time for South Sudanese leaders to engage in a peace negotiation that ends up only in the paper.

“The peace agreement they are talking about in Nairobi, [for] me I think it will not bring a permanent solution because whenever they go and discuss outside there, what they are discussing, they will not disseminate it to the citizens who are here in this country because the problem is facing us here.”

“It needs to that there is a forum or there is a really rally whereby people come and then they give each one a chance to talk about the issues, it would be nice.”

On May 16^th 2024, parties at the Nairobi peace talks signed what they called a declaration to the Tumaini Initiative for the South Sudan peace process.

The 11-point declaration acts as the basis of the parties’ commitment towards the dialogue, adherence to cessation of hostilities and to attain a future free from violence in South Sudan.

The parties rejected violence as a means of solving differences and call upon all South Sudanese citizens to engage in constructive dialogue, fostering an environment where grievances can be addressed peacefully.

They also agreed to open civic and political spaces, and to allow citizens to participate in peaceful political processes and to respect, protect and guarantee the freedom of expression, assembly and association.

The parties agreed to set aside their individual differences and to compromise their political differences for the sake of the nation, through open and honest discussion.

Other areas in the declaration is to build the nation to conduct a democratic transition and to ensure sustainable peace, through robust and innovative implementation mechanism for the mutually agreed outcome as per clear timeline.

Pagan Amum, leader of the Real SPLM told delegates at the launch of a High-Level Mediation for South Sudan on 9th May that they are committed in addressing the root causes of the conflict in South Sudan.

“We are here to declare our commitment to initiate an inclusive peace process that addresses the root causes of the conflict and foster a truly inclusive environment where all voices of our people are heard and respected.”

The government is negotiating with the South Sudan Opposition Movement Alliance – SSOMA comprised of the Real SPLM led by Pagan Amum and General Paul Malong of the South Sudan United Front.

Others include Stephen Buay of the South Sudan People’s Movement and the National Salvation Front – Revolutionary Command Council of Mario Loku Thomas Jada.

Gabriel Biko, a 28-year-old Yambio resident believe the Nairobi peace talk is a positive move towards addressing the economic crisis in the country.

“I am very hopeful because the hold out groups are now engaged in Nairobi and I think with their engagement in the peace talk, peace will now come to the country.”

“And the aspect of economy to me should also be prioritized highly once the economy of the country is in that situation that we are now facing it is very difficult for you to handle life. So, I believe that the ongoing peace talk the economy should be prioritized by the hold out groups in Nairobi.”

The Nairobi peace talk comes amidst effort to stabilize the South Sudan economy and ending the transition period with the conduct of free, fair and credible elections as stipulated in the 2018 peace deal.

Lazarus Sumbeiywo, the chief mediator for the Nairobi peace talk says parties have the solution to transform South Sudan into a peaceful and democratic nation.

Sumbeiywo also commended the parties for the spirit of unity and commitment hoping the effort will bring peace to the people South Sudan.

“We have a very strong belief that you have the ideas and resources that can lead to the solution that will transform your country.”

“I am encouraged by the united spirit of collegiality and continuous and sustained negotiations which has galvanized every available energy to spark and create hope to the people of South Sudan, the region and beyond.”

Edmond Yakani, the Executive Director of Community Empowerment for Progress Organization also commended the parties for committing to dialogue on issues affecting the country.

“The body language among the political parties is very good, is excellent, is encouraging though sometimes we can hit ourselves on certain matters of misunderstanding but at least those ones have not let us to call or the parties to call for breakdown of the talks or a deadlock which for me is a very good one and this also is encouraging.”

Efforts to bring to the table non-signatories begun in January 2020 after signing the cessation of hostilities agreement in Rome, Italy.

Led by the Community of Sant ‘Egidio, the cessation of hostilities agreement led to subsequent negotiations between the government and opposition group on the root causes of the conflict in South Sudan.

Meshak Malo, the head of Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations in South Sudan believe peace and stability is critical for exploring the country’s wealth and natural resources.

“In this country, there are over 15 million cattle but still we continue to import milk. We are 12 million if each cow could produce only 1 million, there is no reason why each South Sudanese should not have one liter of milk but now we are importing milk from Uganda even from the Arab states which is the powdered milk so those are the areas in which once peace is there, the dividend of peace will be food security but once there is no peace, the consequences of that is food insecurity.”

Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema is among the African leaders who hope to see South Sudan using its resources for the benefit of its citizens.

Speaking during the launch of the high-level peace talk for South Sudan in Kenya on May 9, Hichilema discouraged South Sudanese and other African leaders from engaging in violence, saying no one wins a war.

“No one really wins the war, you may not win a battle, but the war continues. Children are born and instead of children going to school, they are preparing to fight a brother, a sister I think that is not correct in our countries, on our continent.”