President William Ruto has engaged with South Sudan's main opposition Hold-Out Group, reaching key agreements on the mediation process for peace talks in the East African nation. This comes amid growing diplomatic concerns over Kenya's hosting of Rapid Support Forces (RSF) from neighboring Sudan.
According to the Head of State, following the meeting requested by President Salva Kiir Mayardit of South Sudan, both parties agreed to adjourn the Tumaini Peace Initiative talks to March to facilitate consultations. ''Met the Opposition Hold-Out Group of South Sudan and agreed, at the request of the South Sudan Government delegation, that the mediation process that has been going on in Nairobi adjourns until March 2025 to facilitate consultations that will inform the way forward,'' Ruto shared in a statement. Leaders from the South Sudan Hold-Out Group during a meeting at State House Nairobi on February 20, 2025.
PCS ''At the request of President Salva Kiir Mayardit of South Sudan, Kenya has been facilitating the mediation process for the past 11 months in an effort to resolve the political stalemate that has resulted in a serious humanitarian situation and difficult security challenges.'' The Opposition Hold-Out Group delegation was led by Generals Pagan Amum, Paul Malong, Stephen Buoy, and Mario Lada, along with Lual Dau and Cirinho Hiteng.
The meeting comes almost seven months after South Sudan's main opposition political outfit, the Sudan People's Liberation Movement Opposition (SPLM-IO) led by Riek Machar announced in July last year that it had withdrawn from the ongoing peace talks in Kenya dubbed the Tumaini Peace Initiative.
