11/12/2024
CRUSHING TUMAINI: THE TRADITIONAL ELITES' WAR ON FUNDAMENTAL CHANGE
Fellow Junubeen,
The message of the traditional power elites in our land has become crystal clear: a just and honorable peace is not in their interest. As the second round of the Tumaini Consensus talks collapses, it is important for us, the citizens, to understand the true obstacles to peace. It is easy to say that the government does not want peace - technically true - but this oversimplification ignores a fundamental question:
Who is the government?
The current government was formed through Chapter I of the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCSS), which established the Revitalized Transitional Government of National Unity (R-TGONU), the Revitalized Transitional National Legislative Assembly (R-TNLA), and other bloated institutions. This so-called unity government is, in reality, deeply divided and characterized by unreconcilable differences. It is incapable of delivering peace, fulfilling the promises of our liberation struggle, or implementing the provisions of the R-ARCSS.
The R-TGONU comprises various factions, including the Sudan People's Liberation Movement in Government (SPLM-IG), the Sudan People's Liberation Movement in Opposition (SPLM-IO), the South Sudan Opposition Alliance (SSOA), the Other Opposition Parties (OPP), and the Former Detainees (FDs). While these groups are meant to share power, their competing interests have rendered decision-making impossible. Many of these leaders, including unelected MPs in the R-TNLA, are amputated from the people they claim to represent, prioritizing personal gain over national progress.
As Tumaini Consensus II comes to an end, it is critical to recognize that the R-TGONU negotiating with the holdout groups, collectively known as the South Sudan Opposition Movements Alliance (SSOMA), is not a cohesive body. It is riddled with anti-peace elements who stand to benefit from the collapse of the peace process. We must identify these spoilers and understand their motives.
Compatriots,
The Tumaini Consensus was initiated after President Salva Kiir reached out to Kenyan President Dr. William Ruto to mediate with the holdout groups of the R-ARCSS. The first round of talks, led by Hon. Albino Mathom and Hon. Michael Makuei, successfully resulted in the initialing of 11 protocols, including those on humanitarian access, security arrangements, justice sector reforms, and economic recovery. The first round of Tumaini was a beacon of hope for our people, who, despite their sacrifices for freedom, continue to endure abject poverty.
While opinions about the SPLM-IG vary, we cannot deny their pivotal role in securing the Tumaini talks. If the November 5 communiqué between President Salva Kiir and President Dr. William Ruto had been honored, peace could have been realized within weeks, allowing our people to begin enjoying its dividends.
Instead, anti-peace forces within the R-TGONU invoked the power sharing provision within the R-ARCSS to derail the process. They forced the recall of the Tumaini I delegation and replaced it with a group dominated by self-serving politicians with vested interests - political leaders who thrive in the current untenable status quo. This new delegation entered Tumaini II determined to sabotage the talks, knowing that genuine peace would threaten their grip on power and expose their failures.
Fellow South Sudanese,
The writing is on the wall: the anti-peace forces in our land will stop at nothing to uphold the barbaric status quo. Their hired voices flood social media, falsely portraying themselves as champions of socio-economic change while blaming the SPLM-IG for the failure to implement the R-ARCSS - claiming they lack political will.
This is mischief of the highest order.
The Tumaini Consensus was a product of SPLM-IG efforts. Opposition groups within the R-TGONU are the ones undermining peace, fearing the return of the holdout groups, which would render them irrelevant as opposition. If they truly believed the SPLM-IG lacked political will, why haven’t they resigned in protest? Why would they oppose a process that promises to breathe new life into the R-ARCSS and address the very provisions they have failed to implement since 2020?
Compatriots,
The future of South Sudan lies in our hands. As citizens, we must be proactive and assert our collective responsibility to demand accountability from those who claim to serve us. We must unite and mobilize behind the Tumaini Consensus, making it clear to the political class that we will not tolerate further derailment of the peace process. We know who the spoilers are, and we will continue to expose them.
Fellow Countrymen and Women,
The dark forces may have succeeded in stalling Tumaini II, but the peace struggle continues. There will either be a Tumaini III or an entirely new process altogether. Revolutionary intellectuals must intensify efforts to counter the misinformation of the hired voices of traditional power elites. We must continue to wage peace. With the outcry of our civil population due to economic hardship, solidarity from the region, and international diplomatic pressure, we can bring these anti-peace elements back to the negotiating table.
Let us not lose hope - referred to as Tumaini in Swahili. The dream of peace is within reach, but it requires the unwavering resolve of every citizen to realize it. Together, we can overcome the dark forces in our land and ensure the fundamental change our civil population has sacrificed for over generations of struggle.
Compatriots,
We Must Be United!
Mabior Garang,
11/12/2024