04/12/2024
ENEMIES OF HOPE (TUMAINI): THE OPPOSITION'S BETRAYAL OF SOUTH SUDAN'S PEACE PROCESS
Fellow Junubeen,
It is a travesty that those actively conspiring to derail the Tumaini Peace Process are members of the so-called opposition. One would expect the incumbent government to resist reforms while the opposition champions change and stands firmly against the barbaric status quo in our land. However, the reality is quite the opposite.
The primary spoilers of the ongoing peace process are some so-called opposition members of the Revitalized Transitional National Legislative Assembly (R-TNLA). Ironically, the government Members of Parliament (MPs) - elected in the 2010 elections - remain the only ones with any semblance of legitimacy. They have not had another opportunity to seek reelection due to the failure to hold new elections and the seemingly endless transitional periods.
The reconstituted Revitalized Parliament, established under the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCSS), comprises 550 MPs:
332 MPs from the SPLM In Government (SPLM-IG),
128 MPs from SPLM In Opposition (SPLM-IO),
50 MPs from the South Sudan Opposition Alliance (SSOA),
30 MPs from Other Opposition Parties (OPP), and
10 MPs from the Former Detainees (FDs).
However, 218 of these MPs were not elected; they were appointed under the provisions of the R-ARCSS. They have no connection to their constituencies and owe their positions to the agreement rather than the people's mandate. These self-serving politicians fear elections because they know the people would send them home. This fear is precisely why they oppose the Tumaini Consensus.
When we look at the new delegation of the Revitalized Transitional Government of National Unity (R-TGONU) to the Tumaini talks, it becomes clear that many committee members are MPs who stand to lose the most—not only from the successful completion of the Tumaini Consensus but also from the genuine implementation of the R-ARCSS. There is little contradiction between the two processes; in fact, the Tumaini Consensus seeks to complement and strengthen the R-ARCSS. Only those with vested interests would oppose this initiative.
Compatriots,
There is no reason to fear Tumaini, a Swahili word meaning hope. Why would anyone oppose the hope and aspirations of our citizens? The Tumaini Consensus does not aim to replace the R-ARCSS but to reinforce it, providing stronger guarantees for its implementation. This process is designed to culminate in general elections, where our people can finally choose their leaders. The hired voices of the traditional elite are spreading misinformation, misleading the public into believing that the Tumaini Consensus seeks to abrogate the R-ARCSS.
This is mischief!
Let us not be swayed by the negative propaganda of self-serving politicians. We must rally behind the Tumaini Consensus, our final hope for fulfilling the promises of our liberation struggle and ending the immense suffering our people have endured for generations. Peace-loving leaders on both sides of the political divide must summon the courage to unite, set aside their differences, and embrace Tumaini as a tool for bringing lasting peace to our nascent Republic.
Fellow Countrymen and Women,
We Must be United!
Cpt. Mabior Garang
PM, NCSS
Mobile Office
04/12/2024
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