JUBA, South Sudan — South Sudan’s Vice President Riek Machar has expressed strong dissatisfaction with the ongoing peace talks in neighbouring Kenya, alleging that they fail to respect the peace agreement established in 2018. In a protest letter to the talks’ mediator, Machar claimed that the new draft agreement aims to replace the original peace deal.
Machar argued that the draft proposes alternative institutions to replace or run parallel with those set by the 2018 agreement, and insisted that the current peace talks should support and not negate the existing deal.
The former rebel leader signed the 2018 agreement with President Salva Kiir, ending a five-year civil war that claimed approximately 400,000 lives. Following the deal, Machar, who had opposed Kiir during the conflict, was appointed vice president. However, Machar’s group is not included in the current talks, which focus on integrating groups left out of the 2018 agreement.
Despite the peace deal, violence in South Sudan persists, largely due to rebel activities and ethnic conflicts. The body overseeing the implementation of the 2018 peace agreement raised concerns in May about the slow progress of election-related tasks, with only a few months remaining until the December elections.
Opposition groups not included in the 2018 peace agreement have been engaged in discussions in Kenya since May 9, aiming to bring them into the peace process before the elections. These talks have resulted in a draft agreement recommending an extension of the transitional period to allow more time for election preparations.
President Kiir received a progress report from government representatives involved in the talks on Thursday. The government spokesperson informed the media that the participants were close to reaching a final agreement.
