Radio Miraya
2758: NAIROBI PEACE TALKS: Mediators should continue engaging the opposition to join the talks - Kuel Aguer Kuel
My general impression is that there is willingness to try again to bring sustainable and implementable process into the people of South Sudan. What seems to be happening also my observation is that it is supposed to be inclusive, that all the parties that are interesting to participate should have been given opportunity to participate and the environment should have been created for them to be able to come in. What is your call here for these people who are not part of this negotiation? What would you recommend for the mediators and others they called us? I think what should be done is to address their concern. There is one thing that cannot be addressed unless the outcome wins the question of security. They feel that they will not be secure if they are here. And when somebody is afraid they are nothing you can't worry about it unless you make them feel secure. My other strategy is whether they can have a venue within the region for them to be easily consulted so that they can voice their case they can also be addressed like as if they are here, if they are in Tanzania they feel that they are okay with Tanzania or in addition then a delegation can settle between to consult them on issues. And when there is one-to-one consultation a delegation can be sent to them to discuss with them their concern and their contributions. And based on that we will be able to build trust and build confidence on the process because we are exactly concerned about that being out in this process because we know what it means. What is your role in this high-level mediation on South Sudan? We are here as a group the People, a collusion for civil action called for a united country peaceful and stable and democratic nation, this is our principle. So any process that is intended to drive the country towards that is our interest because currently our country is at risk for this integration. We are worried that if there is no peaceful transition from the current crisis because political crisis now but can be military and political crisis, if something happens with the military they can't go into chaos. We don't want our country to go like Libya, like Somalia, like Yemen, we don't want our country to reach that stage. We think that there is an opportunity for us to peacefully engage ourselves and address our problems. I optimistic that this high-level mediation on South Sudan can result to a tangible, sustainable peace in South Sudan. It actually depends on people of South Sudan, it is not on the mediation. The mediation is working to help us to have sustainable peace. If we are serious about it, it can happen. So what we have now, the serious issue we have is the implementation of whatever that has been agreed. This is a serious problem we have. Why is it what we have to find out? Is it possible to fix it so that the agreement is implemented or is it not? This is what we are struggling with because whatever we put forward part of it is already there in the agreement. So why are we making new agreement? We have had our government that we need to change the way we do things. We need to listen to what people are telling us. We need to act on what we said we want to do. We need to be committed to do what we say we need to do. We need to find resources to be able to do what need resources and we cannot do resources unless people are confident on what we are doing. What should be the game changer in this scenario? The game changer is the government. You know, there is no other person. We can't talk. If government listen to us and do what we want, they can't change the situation because the power is in their hands. The resources are in their hands. The political, the physical power which is the army and then the economic power which is the resources that they have, all of it are in the hands of the government. So it is the government that can make decisions to change things. Are you willing to go back after this? I will definitely go back. In the two days to come I will request the ambassador here to embassy here to issue me travel government because I think through travel government. When travel government is the one way government, where I have to go back I have to get another travel government from here to go. I am going back. If they restrict me is their option because what I am doing here is to contribute to peace. It is not a destruction of the country because when I left, I left normally in the airport and nobody asked me that where I go and I came here based on the invitation of the chief media, he sent me an invitation letter that you come and participate on the side of PCCA and I accepted the invitation and I came. So there is no crime of me accepting invitation to come to peace process unless somebody doesn't want me to participate but I am a citizen of the country. If I have capacity to contribute it is the property of people of South Sudan. You are the former governor, you are a lecturer in the university and you are using travel permit. What happened to your passport? My passport was confiscated on the 19th of April 2023 when I was going for medical. I was told that I was cleared travel and I told them to give me my passport and they keep saying that it was here, it was there and all this, then I keep following up this. Then one week before I come here, I ask one of the people that please where is my passport and he say I thought you got your passport, should be somewhere but when I was following I have to get my passport and if not they give me a note to the migration so that they give me new passport, if it was really lost. So it is not my problem but so long as this was necessary, I have to get emergency travel permit because this is important.