Kenyan mediators ask South Sudan peace delegates to vacate hotel due to financial constraints

The South Sudan peace talks have hit a major snag due to financial constraints, causing delegates to vacate their hotel rooms, a peace delegate confirmed to The Eastleigh Voice.

This development comes after the withdrawal of the Riek Machar faction, which threw the Kenyan mediators back to the drawing board.

Speaking to Radio Tamazuj on Sunday, Rajab Mohandis, a prominent member of the People's Coalition for Civil Action (PCCA) delegation, stated that the Kenyan-led mediation team had informed them that the peace negotiations were nearing their final stages.

"Most of the protocols have already been covered," Rajab explained.

"The only remaining protocol is on the power-sharing and implementation matrix. The talks on power-sharing will only be between the transitional government and the opposition. The mediator has asked each group to select seven members to negotiate on the remaining protocol."

Rajab further elaborated on the structure of the upcoming negotiations.

"The government will have seven members, the opposition will select seven members, and the other stakeholders will select seven people to finalize the implementation modalities and the talks on power-sharing," he said.

"Insufficient resources"

A letter dated July 19 which was seen and verified by The Eastleigh Voice revealed that the mediation team had informed the parties that there were insufficient resources to continue accommodating all peace delegates at the Tumaini Initiative in a Nairobi hotel.

Kenyan President William Ruto receives his South Sudan counterpart Salva Kiir at State House, Nairobi on August 19, 2023. (Photo: PCS)

They were advised to vacate by Sunday or else they would need to cover their expenses.

The Kenyan-led mediation team expressed gratitude to the delegates for their active participation over the past several weeks.

"However, for those delegates who have been released by their heads of delegation, we kindly request you to check out of your room at Ole Sereni by Sunday, July 21, at 10:00 am. If you choose to stay in your room beyond that time, you will need to make arrangements directly with the hotel," the letter read in part.

South Sudanese First Vice President Riek Machar announced last Wednesday that the main opposition group, the Sudan People's Liberation Movement in Opposition (SPLM-IO), which he leads, has withdrawn from the Kenya-led Tumaini peace initiative.

Machar accused the initiative of overstepping its mandate and undermining the East African Community's existing revitalised peace agreement and sovereignty.

Earlier last week, the parties to the Kenya-led initiative signed eight protocols encompassing security, ceasefire, communal violence, arms proliferation, land disputes, trust-building, humanitarian access, and the role of guarantors.

The protocols signed in Nairobi establish institutions that already exist under the revitalised peace agreement signed by President Salva Kiir's government and the main armed opposition group in September 2018.

Negotiators stated that these protocols, which emerged from months of negotiations, aim to address critical issues in South Sudan.