Radio Miraya
2760: NAIROBI PEACE TALKS: Real-SPLM leader calls for a comprehensive peace plan
From the beginning, the two main initiatives was launched and we have achieved a number of milestones. First, the launching, formalized the acceptance of the request of President Kier to President William Ruto, President of the Republic of Kenya, of the proposal to mediate between the government and the non-signatories opposition groups in South Sudan. The first achievement was the launching itself. As part of the launching also, President William Ruto and General Lazarus Sombevo organized immediately emitting between President Kier and the government delegation and the opposition leaders. It was the first movement that the two sides said and actually we said alone, we were left alone in the state house to discuss the situation. And in that meeting, President Kier identified very clearly that the goal of the Tomahini initiative, hope initiative, is to rescue South Sudan. And we as the parties, we should not be sitting as enemies to each other but rather as South Sudanese citizens and concern only with rescuing the country. That was a very big breakthrough in terms of changing the mindset. In this Tomahini process, the discussion is not about power sharing, the discussion is not about what is my position, what is your position, the discussion is about how to rescue the country, all that have now been compiled by the mediators into '73, so the six pages document, I'm sure it is already in social media and it is circulating amongst South Sudanese, you might have gone through it. And the parties in the last few days have been presenting their views on how that document have been received by the parties. I believe generally the parties have responded to the mediators that this document covers most of the issues that we have discussed, identified, the challenges and the problems and recommended solutions to those challenges and problems. The parties, like you said, for the last three days have been submitting their report back to the mediators in regards to this '73 or '76 page document like mention. Yes. After this, what next? What next is the parties and the mediators have to now build on the report a comprehensive peace plan, a peace plan taking into consideration all the experiences that we've had. Part of that peace plan is how to transform the Tomahini initiative into an inclusive, national, constitutional conference, which will bring more representative of our stakeholders, more representative of the political parties was in the government and in the opposition, including those who are not present now in the negotiation. They have to be included. So where would that happen in South Sudan or somewhere in the region? Let me finish the idea and then we come to where it will be. So that is, that inclusive, national, constitutional conference will include the political parties and also outside the government and in the opposition, including outside the country. This is one category, but this constitutional, constitutional conference will not be limited to the political elites in the country, but rather must include our religious leaders, our traditional leaders, must include our women leaders, must include our youth leaders, must include our civil society leaders, including professional South Sudanese associations of say doctors, engineers, nurses, employees, as well as academicians inside the country and outside the country and this inclusive, national, constitutional conference, we are proposing as a compromise, we are proposing that it should take an hybrid form. One part, the initial first part of it would be in Kenya, would be organized here in Kenya and the second part will move into the country. While we are suggesting that the first part, the organized here in Kenya, because at present moment, there is no conducive environment in the country that can allow that free and deep soul search to critique the situation we have and find solutions to the problem. It is about lack of civil space in the country, lack of freedoms. That is why to address this, we are proposing that the first part of the national and inclusive national constitutional conference be healthier in Kenya and we understand that the government of Kenya is open to this idea and there are others who are also willing to support such an idea. So when will that be, how soon? This is subject to discussion.