Juba, 28 November, 2024 / 1:17 pm (ACI Africa).
Stephen Cardinal Ameyu Martin Mulla, the Archbishop of South Sudan’s Catholic Archdiocese of Juba has expressed hope in the Tumaini Initiative launched by President Salva Kiir to bring lasting peace in the east-central African country that continues to grapple with the devastation of a civil war.
In a meeting that was held on Monday, November 25 between the South Sudanese Head of State and a delegation of Bishops in the country, Cardinal Ameyu is quoted by Agenzia Fides as saying, “We know that the President is a man of peace and he informed us about the 'Tumaini' peace initiative."
Further divulging details of the peace initiative, the Cardinal said that President Kiir had assured the Catholic Church leaders that a team from the South Sudanese government “is now ready to travel to Nairobi (Kenya’s capital) to negotiate in order to achieve lasting peace in the country.”
The Tumaini (Hope) Initiative, launched in May 2024 by President Kiir, seeks to facilitate mediation between the Government of South Sudan (GoSS) and the Holdout Groups (HGs), who previously refused to sign the R-ARCSS agreement in Addis Ababa, citing concerns over unresolved issues. The initiative gained momentum after the Kenyan President's endorsement and has since been a critical step in the peace process.
The Tumaini initiative is a memorandum of understanding signed by the transitional Government and the Opposition Movement Alliance (SSOMA).
