Radio Miraya
2728: Peace Talks in Nairobi, Kenya: Minister of Peacebuilding, Stephen Par Kuol
It will have a tremendous effect. It will mean that gun will go silent all over the country. If we successfully engage the armed group, politically speaking, the politically motivated group all over the country and in Diaspora will also help with the message of peace and reconciliation. And this is central to the peace-building policy of the artygono, the policy of inclusivity. We are here to achieve an inclusive peace process for the country. And we understand that during the pre-negotiation, some of the parties are calling for reconciliation and healing. Is that something as a minister of peace-building you'd like to consider to be taken as a peace priority? Oh, yes, it is a priority. It is not a thing to consider. It is actually the central program nowadays in the country. The era of our arches is an era of peace, reconciliation and healing. The ultimate ends of this peace process must be healing of the nations. Some of the parties are talking about inclusivity. What does it mean? Does it mean some of the parties want to be included in the government? No, no, necessarily that. What we mean in this dialogue is a dialogue to share visions and experience that we have had for the last seven years in this peace process. The other arches was negotiated for a very long time. And that actually gives us an opportunity to dialogue, even before the formation of the government. It is not necessarily an inclusion of the people in the governance, but reconciliation is central to all this. This negotiation between the government and the holdup is coming at a time when we are only left in the eight months to the conduct of the expected general election has been said throughout the country this day. What impact do you think if a deal is rich, it will have on the peace process and the election itself? Well, it will add a lot to the old process. Nothing is too late. The peace process is ongoing and it does not end with the elections. The peace building process does not end even with the transitions. It goes beyond. The most important thing at this particular time is peace and reconciliation among the political leaders of South Sudan, whether they are in the government or outside the government. Has the Minister of Peace building does it warn you when you hear some non-sigant theories or they hold out declining to come and participate in this piece of Nairobi? Yes, it worries all of us and we are still reaching out to them. I hope they will join the peace process. We will engage them whether physically, electronically or we have a way. Wherever they are we will reach out to them. What kind of olive branch is the government planning to extend to those who have the fear so that that kind of fear can be removed away from those who say, "If I come to Nairobi, I can be abducted like I said by the core mediator of Santigidio." Well, you know, we are here in Nairobi under the auspices of the Santigidio and the government of the Republic of Canyon mediation. All the whole other groups have been assured of their safety here in this capital. We have also assured them, you know, in our contact with them and we are genuine. Amnesty has been offered by the President of the Republic for everybody who want to join the peace process and that is also our peace-building policy, that people should not live in fear. You cannot build peace and fear. We must build trust, we must not fear ourselves. The reason why we braved it into Yuba, leaving all our forces behind seeing the time, you know, 2018, is to show seriousness. And if you don't trust the peace partner, whom will you trust? What do you say to this claim by many Souths, that is that the politicians of Souths, including yourself, are just trying to buy time and enjoy their luxury? This is not the first time the negotiations are happening. In Ethiopia, Sudan, even in Tibet, Uganda, now you are here in Kenya, even went up to Rome. No peace is yet coming forward. Well, you know, our people should understand that it is easier to destroy than to build. But this building takes longer time, and nobody can morally work to buy, you know, luxury to bring peace. The reason why we come to this capital and sit here in this luxurious hotel is not for the sake of it. It is only that it is the setting organized by the mediation. Even if we do it in the forest, we will go and find them. It is a site for peace, not for luxury. What is unique about this ongoing peace process in Nairobi? Which will bear more force than what happened in Centigrid and in Rome. And even these are the same group who abandoned the peace process in Khartoum in 2018. Well, then, you know, peace deal is not rich overnight. You see how many years we negotiated CPA, and how many years we negotiated our archives. It takes a long time to achieve peace, whether on paper or in the mines. It takes a long time. It is the nature of the beast. Our people have to put up with it. What is your expectation from here in terms of achieving a lasting peace in South Sudan? Do you believe if this Nairobi talks succeed, will that mark the end of violence in South Sudan in terms of the Amde rebellion? Well, I think it will elevate the situation as it is. But ending political violence takes longer time. I cannot tell you that by signing anything here, that would be the energy. You have seen what we went through during this transitional period of our archives, incident here and there. And you have seen also the inter-communal violence all over the country. Because of the breakdown of the law and order and all this. The reconstruction of all that will take a long time. And this is one of the things we are engaging our political leaders on that. Let us bring peace to the country through dialogue. [BLANK_AUDIO]