The Archbishop
of the Episcopal Church of South Sudan’s Central Equatoria Internal Province, Dr.
Paul Yugusuk, is mobilizing support to send his team to Rome to meet Thomas
Cirilo and persuade him to join the peace process, according to retired Bishop
Enok Tombe.
Cirilo, who
leads the National Salvation Front (NAS), an opposition army, has been engaged
in peace talks with the government in Rome since 2020.
Mediated by
the Sant’Egidio Community, the negotiations included other opposition groups
under the South Sudan Opposition Movements Alliance (SSOMA).
However,
after years of stalled progress, President Salva Kiir shifted the talks to
Nairobi in December 2023, requesting Kenyan President Dr. William Samoei Ruto
to take over as the new mediator. The negotiations were rebranded as the
Tumaini Initiative, meaning "hope" in Swahili.
When the
talks were relocated, Cirilo declined to participate, citing insecurity and
unresolved issues.
His refusal
to join the Tumaini Initiative has sparked concerns among citizens and peace
advocates, as it undermines inclusivity in the peace process.
While the
government continues negotiations with other opposition groups, Cirilo’s
absence raises fears that a fragmented approach could jeopardize lasting peace
in the country.
Bishop Enock
Tombe stated that religious leaders are preparing to travel to Rome to meet
Cirilo in an effort to persuade him to rejoin the talks.
“The issue of the holdout groups, Archbishop Yugusuk is going to meet those of Thomas in Rome," said Enok.
The key holdout groups include the National Salvation Front (NAS) led by Gen. Thomas Cirilo Swaka, the National Democratic Movement-Patriotic Front (NDM-PF) of Emmanuel Ajawin, and the SPLA-IO Kit-Gwang faction under Gen. Simon Gatwech Dual.
Retired Bishop Tombe said Archbishop
Dr. Paul Yugusuk of the Central Equatoria Internal Province is rallying support
to lead the Church Intermediation Initiative to Rome, aiming to persuade these
groups to join peace talks.
“There is
also an attempt to bring on board Simon Gatwich," tome stated. “So, I
understand they are going to go to Rome, and so, they want St. Egidio to
support that team to go to Rome. Because funding has been a problem.”
The religious
leader also suggested that parallel peace talks could be held with Cirilo and
the groups, mediated by the church, if they continue to refuse to join the
peace talks or send representatives to Nairobi.
“Some people
told me, 'Bishop, if this [security concerns] is their fear to come to Kenya,
they can send observers, or choose another venue, and then you do a parallel
peace process,’” he said. “We did that by the way when the CPA was almost
collapsing.”
“The
church is now going to St. Egidio. These people cannot hide from us. Who will
hide from Archbishop Paul? They cannot hide. That's why we are the best to deal
with this issue.”
The ongoing
peace talks under the Tumaini Initiative in Nairobi are a Kenyan government
effort to achieve lasting peace in South Sudan by bringing in the opposition
parties that did not sign the 2018 peace agreement into the peace process in
the country.