24/11/2024
WAGING THE STRUGGLE FOR PEACE: WHY TUMAINI MATTERS
Fellow Junubeen,
As we wage peace in our land, it is important to be armed with accurate information in this era of disinformation and propaganda. The traditional power elites, beneficiaries of a barbaric status quo rooted in the colonial era, have launched a campaign of deceit to confuse the public. Their hired voices claim that the Tumaini Consensus is a waste of time and allege that Comrades Pagan Amum, General Paul Malong, and the leaders of SSOMA harbor hidden agendas for regime change.
This is pure mischief.
The Tumaini Consensus is not a waste of time. It is a peace initiative that President Salva Kiir, in his wisdom, launched to include opposition groups that refused to sign the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCSS). Moreover, it aims to address the many provisions of the R-ARCSS that the Revitalized Government of National Unity (R-TGONU) has failed to implement since its formation in 2020..
Enough is enough!
The R-ARCSS has primarily focused on power sharing under a single provision in Chapter I, while neglecting the reform agenda. Despite accusations that Tumaini is insincere or part of a hidden regime change agenda, it is the opposition politicians within the R-TGONU who have failed to act in good faith. For instance, the cantonment areas envisioned for unifying the armed forces were deliberately used to recruit a new army, ensuring no unified forces were ever formed. This was by design, not oversight.
These same politicians, enjoying the trappings of power, blame others for their failures. They accuse the SPLM-IG of lacking political will, yet they have not resigned in protest or shown commitment to the promises of the peace agreement. Their actions reveal hypocrisy: while they criticize the SPLM-IG, they remain complicit in the government's shortcomings.
Compatriots,
The Tumaini Consensus holds value because it provides a fresh opportunity after the dismal failure of the R-ARCSS to deliver socio-economic transformation for our civil population. Tumaini is not an attempt to undermine the presidency but a recommitment to unfulfilled tasks of the previous agreement.
The Tumaini Consensus includes comprehensive protocols:
1. General Principles
2. Humanitarian Access and Support
3. Trust and Confidence-Building Measures
4. Permanent Ceasefire, Security Arrangements, and Reforms
5. Communal Conflicts, Armed Civilians, and Land Disputes
6. Guarantors
7. Justice Sector Reform, Transitional Justice, and Accountability
8. Permanent Constitution Making Process
9. Economic Recovery, Resources, and Financial Management Reforms
10. Responsibility Sharing
11. Implementation Matrix
These protocols offer a roadmap for peace and governance reforms. Tumaini is not perfect, but it is a beacon of hope. If it fails, we as a people will continue to wage peace, learning from our experiences. This is how lasting peace is achieved.
Let us remember the journey to the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA), signed in 2005, and which gave us the Republic of South Sudan in 2011. It was the result of nearly three decades of effort, starting with the Koka Dam talks in 1986, followed by Abuja I and II in the early 1990s, and culminating in the IGAD process in 1994. The CPA was not an overnight success but a testament to persistence.
Similarly, our current journey began with the ARCSS, which collapsed after a couple of months. Its successor, the R-ARCSS, has only implemented the power-sharing provision, leaving the aspirations of our people unfulfilled. The Tumaini Consensus represents a new hope for peace and socio-economic transformation. It must be given a chance.
Fellow countrymen and women,
Peace processes are inherently challenging and require time. The propaganda machine of self-serving politicians seeks to discredit Tumaini before it has even been tried. However, the failure of the R-ARCSS is evident, and the Tumaini Consensus offers us a renewed opportunity to achieve the promises of our liberation struggle.
Let us unite behind the Tumaini Consensus. We cannot dismiss it without giving it a fair trial. If it succeeds, it will bring us closer to lasting peace. If it fails, it will still be a step in the ongoing struggle for peace and prosperity in our land. We have nothing to lose in supporting the Tumaini Consensus.
We Must Give Peace a Chance!
Cpt. Mabior Garang
PM, NCSS
Mobile Office
20/11/2024
Malakal Daily
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