Kiir meets chief mediator of Nairobi talks with holdout groups

JUBA – South Sudan President Salva Kiir Mayardit on Thursday afternoon met, Lazaro Sumbeiywo, the head of the Kenyan mediation between the government and holdout opposition groups to discuss the initiative spear headed by Kenyan President William Ruto.

An ongoing Kenyan initiative aims at brining the South Sudan government and holdout opposition groups together in hope to end the conflict which has remained unresolved following the signing of the revitalized peace agreement in 2018.

In a statement, the presidency said the meeting aimed at discussing ways to ensure that peace is brought between the government and the holdout opposition groups who are not signatories to the revitalized peace agreement.

“H.E. President Salva Kiir Mayardit today met with General Lazaro Sumbeiywo, the Head of Mediation of the South Sudan Peace Talks in Nairobi, to discuss the peace initiative focused on achieving enduring peace with the Holdout Groups,” the presidency said in statement.

In statements to the media following the meeting, Kiir’s special envoy Albino Mathom expressed Kiir’s commitment to bring back “his brothers [from the opposition) back and engage in constructive dialogue.”

This, according to Mathom, is to be achieved by “reaching a comprehensive peace deal and promoting reconciliation among all stakeholders.”

He said talks between the holdout groups and the government is expected to “take place in Nairobi soon.”

The holdout groups are under the South Sudan Opposition Movements Alliance (SSOMA) comprising the Real-SPLM under Pagan Amum, National Salvation Front (NAS) under General Thomas Cirilo, among others.