Kenya President suspends South Sudan mediation talks

February 20, 2025 (NAIROBI) – The Kenyan President William Ruto has suspended the Tumaini Initiative talks between the South Sudan government and opposition groups until next month.

Ruto said the suspension of the mediation talks came after a meeting held with delegations from both government of South Sudan and the hold-out opposition.

“Met the Opposition Hold-Out Group of South Sudan and agreed, at the request of the South Sudan Government delegation, that the mediation process that has been going on in Nairobi adjourns until March 2025 to facilitate consultations that will inform the way forward,” he wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

According to Ruto, the temporary break will allow for important consultations to take place, which will help determine the next steps in the peace process.

Kenya has, following a request from President Salva Kiir, been facilitating the mediation process in an effort to resolve the political challenges in South Sudan.

The peace talks, which began on May 9, 2024, faced a setback in July when some parties raised concerns about specific mechanisms proposed in the negotiations.

The decision to resume the talks followed a meeting on November 6, 2024, between the President Ruto and his South Sudanese counterpart in Juba.

During the meeting, the leaders directed the mediation team to reconvene and resolve any outstanding issues within two weeks before signing the final agreement.

The talks were later adjourned in December 2024 to allow for further consultations.

(ST)