South Sudan has officially announced the collapse of the Tumaini Peace Initiative, a Kenyan-mediated process once considered a promising step toward restoring stability in the war-torn country.
The declaration comes after months of diplomatic silence and growing discord between the government in Juba and newly recognized opposition factions.
According to South Sudanese authorities, the peace process—launched in December 2023 with the support of Kenyan President William Ruto—has failed to meet expectations and is now deemed defunct.
Presidential Advisor Kuol Manyang Juuk, speaking on behalf of the government delegation, accused Tumaini organizers of trying to sideline the Revitalised Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCSS), the main peace accord signed in 2018.
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“The R-ARCSS has not been annulled, so Tumaini cannot substitute it,” Juuk asserted. “Most of Tumaini’s proposals are already part of the existing agreement. The rest were excluded for valid reasons.”
The Tumaini Initiative was originally conceived to re-energize stalled peace efforts by incorporating emerging opposition groups, including the United People’s Alliance.
However, Business Insider Africa reports that officials in Juba now allege that the process has inadvertently legitimised rebellion and emboldened exiled political actors.
They specifically raised alarm over the formation of a military wing by opposition forces operating from Kenyan territory, a move they claim violates East African Community (EAC) norms.
“You can’t allow every disgruntled politician to form a group abroad, claim legitimacy, and initiate peace talks,” Juuk added. “Tumaini is dead.”
The government also criticized the Tumaini camp for financial impropriety, accusing former officials now living in exile of embezzling public funds. Juuk questioned the source of their lavish lifestyles abroad, suggesting the wealth was likely siphoned from state coffers during their time in office.
Central to the failed initiative was a proposal to establish a Leadership Council to act as the supreme governing body. Juuk denounced this suggestion as a veiled attempt at seizing power through “political blackmail,” branding it a “coup by another name.”
Diplomatic relations between South Sudan and Kenya have since cooled, with Juba lodging a formal protest over Nairobi’s alleged tolerance of rebel operations. The peace talks had previously been adjourned three times, most recently on February 7, 2025, without reaching any substantial agreement.
The initiative initially emerged as an alternative to the faltering Sant’Egidio-led negotiations in Italy. Despite the early optimism, Tumaini has now joined a long list of stalled efforts to bring lasting peace to Africa’s youngest nation.
As of publication, the Kenyan government has not officially responded to South Sudan’s declaration.
Image Credit: The Eastleigh Voice
